Uddhav Thackeray confident about polls, says 'match is already won'

After BJP and Shiv Sena have hit out at the Opposition many times, the Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has expressed confidence that the BJP-Sena alliance would once again come to power in Maharashtra. Drawing a comparison between the upcoming polls and a cricket match, he said he has "already won the match". Thackeray took a dig at the Opposition again when he said the opposition is "tired and has been almost wiped out from the political scene”. He was campaigning for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections in the Amravati and Pune districts on Friday when he called out the opposition in the state. Sena chief was speaking in the Amravati district for Preeti Band who is contesting from Badnera, Sunita Fiske (Achalpur) and Rajesh Wankhade (Teosa), and BJP's Dr Sunil Deshmukh.  

Manifesto to be released on Saturday, Oct 12 

Uddhav Thackeray during the rally informed that Shiv Sena's manifesto will be released on Saturday, October 12. He said, “The Sena aims to make farmers debt-free, rather than making them avail loan waiver." 

Uddhav Thackeray made many promises during the rally as he assured the people that he would make every effort to provide six free gas cylinders per year to those in the `extremely poor' category. He also said that he will flag off schemes wherein Rs 10 meals can be provided to the poor people in rural areas, and primary health check-up at Rs 1. Uddhav Thackeray also praised PM Modi’s crop insurance scheme and the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. 

Read: Shiv Sena: 26 corporators along with 300 workers tender resignations

Confident of winning the elections 

Speaking about the outcome of the assembly polls, Uddhav Thackeray said, "You can imagine the predicament of a batsman who has to score lots of runs in very few balls. But I have no such tension. My score is decided, and the target fixed. I have already won the match." 

Read: Shiv Sena opposes BJP on Aarey deforestation, slams protestors' arrest

Uddhav Thackeray on Ayodhya 

Sena chief referred to the Ayodhya issue in his rally speech again, he said, “I had taken soil from the Shivneri Fort (where Chhatrapati Shivaji was born) to Ayodhya, and now you can see a miracle is happening as Supreme Court is set to announce the judgment in the Ram Janmabhumi case”. The Shiv Sena party has been demanding a law to start the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed land in Ayodhya. 

Read: Sena wants to make farmers debt-free, says Uddhav Thackeray

Sena Chief slams NCP 

During the rally, Uddhav Thackeray also slammed NCP for protesting outside ED’s office. He said that NCP is "making drama out of ED (Enforcement Directorate) inquiry". This comes after the NCP supremo, Sharad Pawar volunteered to visit the ED office on his own after his name figured in a case registered by the EC in the Maharashtra Cooperative Bank scam. "These people tried to prosecute (former) Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray during their rule for protecting the people in Mumbai. Now you are making a cry about allegations levelled by the ED,” said Uddhav Thackeray.  

Read: Sanjay Nirupam condemns tree felling at Aarey, slams Shiv Sena and BJP