'They don't even have brains to...': Uddhav Thackeray's latest jibe at Eknath Shinde, rebel MLAs

Nagpur: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday wondered whether the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is behind the allegations being levelled against ministers belonging to the Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The BJP shares power with the Shinde faction in the state. Addressing party workers, Thackeray also took a dig at pictures of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray being used on posters by CM Shinde and MLAs of his camp, saying they were clicked by him (Uddhav).

"They don't even have the brains to use pictures and they are governing the state," Thackeray said in a jibe directed at Shinde.

"Such bubbles (the rebel MLAs of Shiv Sena) don't stay for long, they just need a pin to burst," he said, referring to Shinde and MLAs loyal to him.

Thackeray, an MLC, alleged some ministers indulged in scams.

"Every day there are scams. There has to be some morality. I sacked a minister. So have all the scamsters switched sides to hide their scams?" the former chief minister asked.

"We will burst these bubbles (rebel MLAs of the Shinde faction). But is the BJP using a pin to burst these bubbles because the way the corruption is coming out, they pertain to the same ministers (of the Shinde faction)," Thackeray added.

He said elections could be announced anytime in the New Year and dared the rebel MLAs not to contest on a BJP ticket in the next polls.

Opposition members had demanded the resignation of CM Shinde over a decision taken by him when he was a minister in the previous MVA government regarding the allotment of land meant for slum-dwellers to private persons.

Similarly, they sought the resignation of minister Abdul Sattar alleging an irregularity in ordering the 'regularisation' of the possession of land reserved for grazing in favour of a private person when he was a minister in the previous state government.