MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday insisted on deciding MVA's chief ministerial face first rather than going by the logic of who wins most seats, asserting that he would back any candidate announced by the Congress and NCP (SP).
Addressing party workers of the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) here, Thackeray said if the Lok Sabha polls were to protect democracy and the Constitution, then the assembly polls are a fight to preserve Maharashtra's self-respect.
Maharashtra assembly elections are likely to be held in October or November.
The MVA comprises the Sena (UBT), Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) and Congress.
He insisted that the chief ministerial candidate must be decided first, rather than by the logic of the party that wins the most seats in the elections.
Thackeray said the experience he had during his alliance with the BJP was that whoever had the numbers would get the CM's post.
But this policy was detrimental as this would lead to one party trying to defeat the other's candidate to maintain an upper hand in the alliance, he said.
"First, decide (the CM's face) and then go ahead but do not go by this policy (those having the most seats will get the CM's post)," Thackeray said.
"Uddhav Thackeray will back any candidate announced by Congress and NCP (SP) as the CM face of MVA. I don't have the feeling that I am fighting for myself but it is for the rights of Maharashtra," Thackeray said.
Thackeray asked the MVA cadres to rise above self-interest and fight for the sake of protecting Maharashtra's pride and interest.
He also urged them to be the ambassadors of the opposition alliance in the state.
On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pitch for a secular civil code in the country, Thackeray wondered if he had given up Hindutva.
During his Independence Day speech, Modi had said, "I would say, it is the need of the hour that India should have a secular civil code. We have lived 75 years with a communal civil code. Now, we have to move towards a secular civil code. Only then would religion-based discrimination end. It would also end the disconnect the common people feel." The PM noted that the Supreme Court has given various directions in this regard.
The spirit of the Constitution also encourages such a code, he said, referring to Article 44 under the Directive Principles of State Policy.
Thackeray slammed the PM asking, "Have you abandoned Hindutva? You aligned with Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar who do not believe in Hindutva."
He also targeted the PM over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and asked why it was not passed when the BJP was in absolute majority.
"Why did you bring the Waqf Bill to wedge the divide between us? And if you had to bring it, why did you not do it when you had the majority? My MPs were not there because they were with me. If it was going to be discussed, our MPs would have taken part in it," Thackeray said.
Thackeray's party came under criticism for not putting its view on the bill when it came for discussion in Lok Sabha last week.
The bill was later sent to a parliamentary committee for scrutiny.
"If you are going to steal Waqf Board land and give it to your industrialist friends, just like you are taking away land from our Hindu temples and giving it to your contractor friends, we will not allow any wrongdoing," he said, also demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe for land deals in Ayodhya.
Thackeray also dared the Election Commission to announce Maharashtra polls.