Raj Thackeray blames Sharad Pawar for Sena-BJP split

Nagpur, Oct 2: MNS chief Raj Thackeray has blamed NCP chief Sharad Pawar for the 25-year-old Shiv Sena-BJP alliance split in Maharashtra ahead of the Assembly polls.

"He (Pawar) told a senior BJP leader that you break the alliance with Sena and we (NCP) will support you," Thackeray alleged.

Addressing a meeting of MNS supporters in western part of the city last night, Thackeray claimed that one of his close confidantes had heard the conversation which was confirmed to him (Thackeray) by a journalist friend.

He ridiculed the four parties - Congress, NCP, BJP and Shiv Sena - for the dramatic developments leading to break up in the two groups and blamed them for mess in the state. He said the Congress-led government was in power for 15 years in state, only because the opposition was grossly ineffective.

"Give me the power, I will show you what development is," the MNS chief asserted.

"We are the first party in the state to come out with a blue print of development," he pointed out and stated that if he failed to fulfil the aspirations of people of the state and bring the desired development, he would quit politics.

Every politician promises roads, power and water during each election. These are the basic needs and people's right, he said.

"Why are they unable to provide these basic needs even after holding power for more than 60 years?" he asked.

These political parties and their leaders are playing with (the sentiments of) voters, he further alleged. The voters must be aware whom to elect, he stressed.

Continuing his tirade against migrants in Maharashtra, he alleged that outsiders possessed illegal arms as there was no check on the weapons that migrants carry with them.

If MNS comes to power, it will close down all private security agencies and start government-regulated ones, Raj said.

PTI