PUNE, 2 December 2005 — A defiant Raj Thackeray, who had recently quit all posts in the Shiv Sena, is set to split the party by floating a new one – Shiv Raj Sena soon.
Raj, whose differences with his cousin and working president of Shiv Sena Uddhav Thackeray is said to be the cause for the likely break, is meeting with number of leaders from various parties ahead of the announcement.
Stating that he would announce his next political move in the next three days, Raj continued to lash out against the “coterie” in the Sena
The son and the nephew of the Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray have now shifted their feud from Bombay and Pune. Uddhav arrived here on Tuesday, and his cousin Raj arrived here Wednesday evening. The battleground will be Pune, said a source close to Raj.
Thackeray, who had issued a veiled warning to his rebellious nephew Raj on Tuesday saying that nobody was bigger than the party, has expressed the confidence that Raj would not defy his call. He further added that Raj is stubborn but would listen to him and the crisis would be sorted out.
Raj who arrived at his Pune residence last evening was accorded a thunderous welcome. “I have decided not to be a party to the “sins” committed by a handful of Shiv Sena party managers. The way these people — a coterie around the Shiv Sena chief — continue to work against the party, gives the impression that they have taken an oath to finish off the Shiv Sena. I have suffered enough humiliation, but now I have decided that enough is enough,” Raj said.
“I’m not against the chief of the party, but am agitated by the decisions taken by the coterie governing the functioning of party. Any chief, party or organization faces doom, if it listens to a coterie, whose only aim and objectives are to destroy and ruin the party or organization,” Raj stated.
Meanwhile, the Congress party has distanced itself from the statement issued by one of its spokesman, Sanjay Nirupam extending invitation to Raj to join the Congress.
The All India Congress Party (AICC) spokesman Anand Sharma told journalists in New Delhi that no decision had been taken to invite Raj Thackeray to join the Congress and no application has come from Raj to become a member of the Congress.
The Congress is playing it cautious because they are still not sure whether Raj would cross over to their party, form a new one or stay put with Shiv Sena.
