Uddhav Thackeray: Will not rest till there is a CM from Sena

Uddhav Thackeray says a Sena CM is a promise he had made to his father, the late Bal Thackeray

In an indication of a stormy situation post the October 21 polls, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has insisted that the chief minister would be from his party as they would winning the maximum seats of the 124 it shared in a pre-poll pact with the BJP. "The number 124 may appear small in the lifetime of Shiv Sena but that itself should be the beginning of the highest number of MLAs the party has ever had," he said in the first part of interview with party mouthpiece Saamna's editor and party MP, Sanjay Raut, on Monday. The interview is seen as a booster ahead of the Sena's annual Dussehra Rally at Shivaji Park on Tuesday.

Upset that the BJP did not live up to the promise of sharing 50% seats, Thackeray said, "Maharashtra isn't Dhrutrashtra [a blind state]. I have shown understanding [when I was requested to consider the BJP's problem of plenty]. An equitable distribution of responsibility and power was the very basis of us holding a press conference at Blue See [where the Lok Sabha alliance was declared]. The 8-10 days after the Assembly results will make people understand what equitable distribution is all about," he said, suggesting that the Sena would not take things lying down when it has a significant strength elected.

He expected the BJP to concede to his demand. "That's a promise given to my father and I will fulfill it."

He said he agreed to the alliance as he wanted power so that the Sainiks, who could not get anything in the 164 constituencies where the party would not be contesting, could be rewarded. "One also has to lose to gain something," he said.

He said his son Aaditya wasn't a novice in politics. "He has learned from his grandfather since childhood. He would observe aajja's [grandfather] deliberations with visitors. He started accompanying us to the public rallies outside Mumbai when he was barely six years old. He has seen rural Maharashtra, and the response he got in the yatra is testimony to his popularity."

But Uddhav said it was premature to say Aaditya would be the CM on his debut. "He has just entered active politics and it shouldn't be presumed that he will become the CM or DyCM immediately. He likes Parliamentary/legislative work and he has been observing it from the galleries for many years, especially when an important bill or discussion came up for debate. The field of politics is not a bad one at all. I desire that youngsters - both boys and girls - take up politics. I sincerely feel that it's time youngsters ran the country's affairs."

But, does that mean Uddhav will take a backseat? "I will not rest till the promise [of a Sena CM] is fulfilled. I will neither go farming or take retirement from politics before that."

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