Uddhav Thackeray says people ‘showed their democratic power quietly’

Mumbai: Shiv Sena-UBT and former Maharashtra chief minister President Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday 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.

Thackeray also said that as part of the INDIA bloc’s efforts to form the next government at the Centre, he had spoken to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and will also speak with leaders of other parties soon.

“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 that though it has turned out very well, the tally could have been improved by at least 3-4 seats.

Referring to the changing scenario in the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency where the results kept fluctuating in the final rounds, Thackeray said that the party would challenge it.

“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.

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.”

“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.

After Nationalist Congress Party-SP President Sharad Pawar, and Congress’ Nana Patole, this was the third important reaction from the MVA which has put up a spectacular performance with leads/victories in 29 out of 48 LS seats compared with 18 leads/wins for the ruling MahaYuti, besides one independent in Sangli.

–IANS