Maharashtra polls: No tie-up as BJP wants to split state, says Uddhav Thackeray

AHMEDNAGAR: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has ruled out any truck with BJP in the future, accusing it of ‘backstabbing’, and wondered if the saffron party was going soft on its core agenda of Hindutva.

He also dismissed talks of a post-poll alliance with estranged cousin Raj Thackeray of MNS saying he had not given any thought to what alliances would happen in the state after polls.

“I am confident and can see on the ground that people will vote only for the Shiv Sena. A war is always fought on the basis of commitment and people have their commitment only to the Sena,” Thackeray said.

Attacking BJP, he said: “How can we be with a party that wants the division of Maharashtra. This state cannot be divided into small provinces under the pretext of faster development. Tomorrow they will form Vidarbha, later they will ask for other parts of the state to be separated. How can this be allowed? We cannot go with parties that want division of Maharashtra.” Interestingly, just a few hours earlier, PM Modi had addressed a rally in Maharashtra where he said he would not allow the state to be split as long as he ruled New Delhi.

Thackeray said he was still in the dark why BJP had broken their ties with the Sena. “They don’t even have enough candidates and have now imported some people and given them party tickets. If this was the condition they should have given us the opportunity to overthrow the Congress-NCP government.”

“Whether the Lotus that was saffron in colour earlier has turned white. Has BJP forgotten Hindutva? BJP is using Shivaji’s name now but we have been celebrating Shivaji’s birth anniversary for many years.”