Cong has ulterior motive behind nominating Sachin: Thackeray

MUMBAI: Stating that every step that Congress takes has a selfish agenda, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray today said there was a need to check the "motive" of that party in nominating cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar to Rajya Sabha.

"Nothing that Congress does is straight and in no work of theirs, the motive is clean," Thackeray said in an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamana here.

"Crores of Sachin's fans would have liked to call him Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar. Alas, he would now only be Sachin Tendulkar, MP.

"Congress may have won laurels for a while by nominating Sachin, but it won't help their vote bank dreams," Thackeray said.

The Congress is beset with various problems and is trying to divert media's attention by making Sachin a Rajya Sabha nominated member, he said.

Congress could have considered names of Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Rahul Dravid for the Rajya Sabha nomination, he said.

Thackeray also objected to the "motive" behind nominating Rekha to the Upper House. "Rekha may be 'khoobsurat' but the motive of nominating her is not clean," he said.

Congress has played dirty politics here, the Sena patriarch said, referring to reports that Congress wanted to pit Amitabh Bachchan's wife Jaya against his most popular on-screen leading lady Rekha in the House.