Ahead of Maharashtra Assembly elections, on Thursday the Shiv Sena has pitched party chief Uddhav Thackeray’s son and Yuva Sena chief, Aaditya, as their chief ministerial candidate.
According to the Hindustan Times, the declaration came just after Aaditya started his statewide ‘Jan Ashirwad Daura’ from Jalgaon. Senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut and Sena MLA Kishor Patil told the leading daily, that Aaditya is the “party’s as well the people’s choice for the post of CM”. “It is the people’s choice that Aaditya should lead the state in Vidhan Sabha and decide the future of Maharashtra,” Raut told the leading daily, a Rajya Sabha MP, adding that Aaditya has the leadership qualities acceptable to the state.
Patil, Sena MLA from Pachora, told the Hindustan Times, “The saffron flag will fly over the Vidhan Sabha, and then nothing can stop our Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray from becoming the chief minister.”
Meanwhile, Raut said Maharashtra required a new face to be led by and added that leadership was present in the form of Aaditya. "I think the chief minister's post going to Shiv Sena means it is going to Aaditya Thackeray. He has those leadership qualities acceptable to Maharashtra," Raut said in response to a question.
Shiv Sena is currently sharing power with the BJP at the Centre and also in Maharashtra. It will contest the Assembly election in alliance with the Amit Shah-led party. Aaditya would be the first in the Thackeray family if he contests the election. "This yatra is not part of any campaigning to seek votes. I consider this as my tirth yatra...this yatra is to create a New Maharashtra," Aaditya told the gathering.
He said he wants to thank each person who voted for the Shiv Sena in the Lok Sabha polls held earlier this year. The Yuva Sena leader said had Shiv Sena founder and his grandfather, Bal Thackeray, been alive, the latter would have also asked him to thank the people who voted for the party. "Accordingly, I have undertaken this yatra without seeing any muhurat (auspicious time)," Aaditya said. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party won 18 seats in the Parliamentary election. "We should try to see each voter votes for the Shiv Sena. Only then will we be able to create a New Maharashtra," Aaditya said.
During the yatra, Aaditya is scheduled to cover Dhule, Nashik and Ahmednagar districts, besides Jalgaon. As per the schedule, he will hold a rally in Malegaon in Nashik district on July 19 and two rallies in Nashik city on July 20 and 21, before moving to Ahmednagar on the same day. On the last day of his tour, Aaditya will hold three rallies in Ahmednagar, Shrirampur and Shirdi assembly constituencies respectively.
