Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray delivered his final address at a farewell ceremony in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, where nine members are scheduled to retire in May.
The ceremony was attended by Uddhav Thackeray along with Neelam Gorhe, Amol Mitkari, Shashikant Shinde, Ranjitsinh Mohite-Patil and Sanjay Kenekar, among others. Members present at the event acknowledged Thackeray’s contributions and extended their regards.
In his address, Thackeray stated, “My nature is not of a politician, but of an artist.” In a lighter remark, he also questioned what circumstances led him to hold someone’s hand despite people knowing him well. His statement is being viewed in the context of prevailing political circumstances.
Thackeray recalled that he was confronted with multiple responsibilities suddenly during his tenure as Chief Minister. He said that it was not appropriate to step away from those responsibilities and that he carried out his duties with commitment. He expressed gratitude to his cabinet colleagues, administrative officials, police personnel, health department workers, ASHA and anganwadi workers.
Referring to former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Thackeray recalled a past instance and cited Sant Dnyaneshwar, stating that values are being overlooked for self-interest in present times. This remark is being interpreted as a reference to current political conditions.
Emphasising the role of youth, Thackeray said that leaders should strengthen the power of young people instead of relying on self-proclaimed godmen. He stated that real change can be brought about by the country’s youth rather than any such figures.
Thackeray also shared memories from his tenure as Chief Minister. He recalled the public response when he entered Mantralaya on his first day and when he vacated the ‘Varsha’ bungalow, stating that such public affection is not received by everyone. He also referred to key decisions taken during his tenure, including allocation of funds for Raigad, renaming Aurangabad as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the Mumbai model and formation of a task force during the COVID period, farm loan waiver, the Shiv Bhojan Thali scheme, continuation of the Samruddhi Mahamarg and metro projects, and making Marathi language mandatory.
