Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said that he will not take back legislators who defected to the rival Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

“Those who left me will not be taken back in the party,” the former Maharashtra chief minister said while addressing a joint press conference with his allies, the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar and the Congress.

Thackeray announced that the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, comprising the three parties, will contest the upcoming Assembly elections together.

“Lok Sabha poll victory for Maha Vikas Aghadi is not the end, it is the beginning,” said Thackeray.

Out of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena won nine of the 17 seats it contested. The Shiv Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde won seven of the 15 seats it contested.

Similarly, Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party has won eight of the ten it contested. In contrast, the faction led by his nephew Ajit Pawar won one of the five it contested. The Congress emerged as the largest single party in Maharashtra with 13 seats.

“This was a fight to save the Constitution and democracy,” Thackeray said. “Assembly elections are coming shortly. This government [at the Centre] was the [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi government and now it has become the NDA [National Democratic Alliance] government. Now it is to be seen how long this government will last.”

In June 2022, Shinde revolted and split the Shiv Sena, taking away 41 MLAs and 13 MPs. This had led to the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, with Shinde becoming the chief minister with the Bharatiya Janata Party’s support.

A year later, in July, Ajit Pawar rebelled, leading to a split within the Nationalist Congress Party. Ajit Pawar took 41 MLAs and one of the two party MPs with him to join the BJP-Shinde alliance. He became the deputy chief minister after this.

On Saturday, Sharad Pawar also thanked Modi for his Lok Sabha campaign speeches.

“Wherever the prime minister’s roadshow and rally took place, we won,” the veteran politician said. “That is why I consider it my duty to thank the Prime Minister.”

Also read: Maharashtra results settle the debate over who is the real Shiv Sena and NCP