Addressing a sizeable turnout, Thackeray assured the people that no toll will be charged on the intercity roads if the NDA wins the Lok Sabha elections. He targeted Sonia Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and the NCP's local candidate Dhananjay Mahadik in his 45-minute address.
Thackeray appealed to citizens to cast their votes for Shiv Sena candidate Sanjay Mandlik for Kolhapur and Raju Shetty of the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana for the Hatkanagale LS constituency and batted for a strong government at the centre under the leadership of Gujarat chief minister and the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
"The opposition frequently talks about the Shiv Sena and says that our party is communal and against Muslims. Let me clarify, we are not against patriot Muslims and we were never against them. When we sit with our sadhus and saints, the Congress charges that the Shiv Sena is communal. If that is so, why did Sonia Gandhi visit the Shahi Imam to seek his support? She should clearly answer what her intention was in meet him. She turned the election communal, when we were talking about development," Thackeray said.
Five of the Sena's MPs had moved over the Congress-NCP ahead of elections. Referring to the exodus, Thackeray said that his party has "a sea of supporters" and a couple of drops leaving this "sea" would not affect the party. "Those who left were impotent. We don't have space for the impotent. Let them go to the NCP," he said.
Thackeray also said that voting for the Congress is like voting for Mulayam Singh. "This person has said that rape is a mistake made by boys and rapists should not be hanged. If you vote for the Congress, you are voting for Mulayam, who is a Congress supporter. Once they come into power, no woman will be safe," Thackeray said.
Earlier in the day, Thackeray had lashed out against Pawar, calling the NCP chief "famous for his treachery" and prone to "forgetting every senior leader who helped him make a career in politics". He was addressing a joint press conference organised by the Shiv Sena with yoga guru Baba Ramdev in Kolhapur.
He was reacting to questions asked over Pawar's recent remark that Uddhav had forgotten his father, Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, with the senior Thackeray not being mentioned in the Shiv Sena's recent poll rallies.
"The foundation of the NCP is based on treachery and he (Pawar) should not offer us any lessons about loyalty," Uddhav Thackeray said.
Thackeray was emotional while replying to questions on taking on the polls for the first time in the absence of Balasaheb Thackeray. "It is very difficult for me. I used to call him after every rally and speak to him in detail. I often pick up my cellphone and habitually dial the number without realizing that he is no more," Thackeray said.
Thackeray categorically played down the BJP's relations with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), saying, "The issue has been sorted out with BJP president Rajnath Singh and he has assured that the BJP is with Shiv Sena and does not have any relation with the MNS."
"We are fighting the election with a common agenda, but local issues surface during election campaigns. In Kolhapur, Shiv Sainiks have led the agitation against toll and we have assured that we will make Maharashtra a toll-free state. All the sections of society want change and are tired of the Congress's rule and we will definitely win the elections," Thackeray said.
Thackeray criticized Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh over his recent remark on rape. "How can one go with such leaders and expect the security of women in India?" he asked.
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