Aaditya Thackeray’s challenge to CM for poll fight in Worli ‘childish’: Shinde camp

The Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena (BSS) on Tuesday termed as “childish” former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray’s comments challenging Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to contest election against him from the Worli Assembly seat in Mumbai.

Addressing a media interaction, Naresh Mhaske, a spokesperson of the Shinde-led BSS, said Thackeray is not even a shakha pramukh (local party unit chief) and should stop comparing himself with the CM, who is a mass leader.

Mhaske said several senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders like Sunil Shinde and Kishori Pednekar were ignored and ticket was given to the junior Thackeray to contest the 2019 Assembly polls from Worli.

'Unconstitutional CM'

“I have challenged this unconstitutional CM that I would resign as MLA from Worli and you contest election against me. Let me see how you win from Worli,” Thackeray said at a party programme in Mumbai last Friday.

The BSS spokesperson said when Uddhav Thackeray resigned as Chief Minister in June last year, he had declared he would also quit his Legislative Council seat, but the former CM continues to be a member of the Upper House.

Mhaske said Aaditya Thackeray did not contest elections from his family’s home turf Bandra in suburban Mumbai and instead went to Worli to fight polls. (With PTI inputs)