Maharashtra: Uddhav Thackeray Says People ‘Showed Their Democratic Power Quietly’

MUMBAI, (IANS) – Shiv Sena-UBT and former Maharashtra chief minister President Uddhav Thackeray on June 4 said that the masses of India have shown their democratic strength quietly and given a clear message that howsoever powerful the rulers may be, the people can vanquish them.

“The masses have displayed their silent strength… The election results have shown that howsoever powerful the rulers may consider themselves, the people can trounce them,” he said.

On the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s (MVA) performance in the state, he said “This is just the beginning of our struggle. Our party, name and symbol were snatched away… Yet they had to use my father’s (the late Balasaheb Thackeray) photos in the elections,” he said.

Several party officials also pointed out that the result was a shocker to the BJP which had strong-armed the situation in the state, split the Shiv Sena and formed a government. The people were not fooled they told the media. Thackeray’s, MLAs had deserted him to align with Eknath Shinde. Now, a couple of years later, the Shinde action, has been able to secure only six seats.

To a question on the possibility of Janata Dal-U President and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and Telugu Desam Party President Chandrababu Naidu joining the INDIA alliance, Thackeray said, “All possibilities are open.” He said the INDIA bloc was formed to end the dictatorship in the country and save the Constitution.

“Both Nitish Kumar and Naidu were harassed a lot by the BJP… I am optimistic about their stand. Even Mamata Banerjee has faced the BJP’s dirty politics…but she is already with us,” he said.