'Had suspected this... we were backstabbed by our own': Thackeray

MUMBAI: Amid the ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said that he had "suspected" the rebellion and revealed that Eknath Shinde who turned rebel, had raised the issue in front of him of the MLAs willing to go with the BJP.

However, Thackeray said that such a question "does not even arise".

Addressing the Shiv Sena corporators virtually, the Chief Minister said, "A few days ago when I suspected something like this, I called Eknath Shinde and told him to perform his duty of taking Shiv Sena forward, doing this isn't right. He told me that NCP-Congress were trying to finish us and MLAs want us to go with BJP. I told him to bring to me MLAs who want it."

"BJP, that defamed our party, my family, is the one you are talking about going with. Such a question doesn't even arise. If MLAs want to go there they can, all of them can. I won't. If someone wants to go - be it an MLA or someone else - come and tell us and then go," Thackeray added.

Asking the leaders of his party to tell him if he is "useless and incapable" to run the party, he said that he will separate himself from the party.

"If you think I'm useless and incapable of running the party, tell me. I'm ready to separate myself from the party, you can tell me. You respected me so far because Balasaheb said so. If you say I am incapable, then I am ready to quit the party right at this moment," he said.

Lauding allies Congress and NCP for their support, Thackeray said that his "own people have backstabbed" him.

"Congress and NCP are supporting us today, Sharad Pawar and Sonia Gandhi have supported us. But our own people have backstabbed us.

We gave tickets to people who could not have won and we made them victorious. Those people have backstabbed us today," he said. After addressing the district chiefs of Shiv Sena on Friday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has called a meeting of the party's national executive committee tomorrow at 1 pm.

The meeting will be held in Shiv Sena Bhavan in which the Chief Minister will join virtually. Earlier, Thackeray convened a meeting of the district chiefs virtually wherein he said that the rebel MLAs who are camping in Guwahati want to "break the party".

"I have said it earlier also that I don't have anything to do with power. The people who used to say that they would rather die than leave Shiv Sena have fled today," the Shiv Sena chief said during his virtual address at the meeting.

"The rebel MLAs want to break the party. I had never thought in dreams that I would become the chief minister. I have left Varsha Bungalow but not the will to fight," he added.

Targetting Shinde, Thackeray said that he did everything for the rebel leader and yet a lot of allegations are levelled against him.

Notably, the Chief Minister had vacated the official residence of the CM on Wednesday night and moved to his family residence 'Matoshree' along with his family. "I did everything for Eknath Shinde.

I gave him the department which I held. His own son is an MP and comments are being made regarding my son.

A lot of allegations are levelled against me," he said. "If they have courage, they should go among people without taking Balasaheb & Shiv Sena's names," he added.

Thackeray, who underwent a cervical spine surgery last year, said, "I had pain in my neck and head, I was not able to work properly, I could not open my eyes but I did not care about it. Shivaji Maharaj was defeated but people were always with him."