Mumbai, Aug 16 (IANS): Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday asked NCP(SP) President Sharad Pawar and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan to announce the chief ministerial candidate ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly election and assured that he will extend his support.

Thackeray said this at the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) joint rally here, the first after his recent three-day visit to Delhi where he met Congress and other INDIA bloc leaders.

With this statement, he has silenced his critics. The ruling MahaYuti alliance had alleged that he was bowing before "trivial people" with an eye on the chief minister's post ahead of the Assembly election and had abandoned the Shiv Sena's core ideology.

He said that all was well within the MVA as there was no dispute among them over the CM's post. He also said the sole aim was to overthrow the MahaYuti government.

Thackeray, however, made a strong pitch for the Maha Vikas Aghadi partners and its rank and file to further strengthen unity and work in support of its nominees to defeat the MahaYuti government comprising BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP. In a serious bid to put a show of unity during the Assembly election, Thackeray urged the MVA partners and cadres not to fight over seats, saying that together they would overthrow the MahaYuti government.

"The MahaYuti government has woken up now and is printing pictures of themselves everywhere. However, we have to gear up to fight the Assembly elections. The MahaYuti leaders are asking who is the MVA’s Chief Ministerial face. Is Uddhav Thackeray the face of Chief Ministership or who else? I want to say now as Sharad Pawar and Prithviraj Chavan are sitting here, if any of you have a face for the CM’s post, announce it, I will support,’’ said Thackeray.

The former CM dared the MahaYuti to fight the election now, saying that he was of the opinion that the Election Commission should announce the Maharashtra Assembly elections today. "We are ready. However, this battle is not as easy as it should be. In the Lok Sabha elections, we defeated the political rival. The Lok Sabha election was a battle to protect the Constitution. Now this battle is to preserve the self-respect of Maharashtra. How should this fight be --either you stay or I stay. Do not fight within the MVA. Let us tell those who have come to loot Maharashtra that either you will stay or I will stay,’’ he said.

Thackeray slammed the Modi government for bringing the Waqf Board Amendment Bill now. "Why did you bring it? If you had the guts, why didn't you approve it when there was a majority? he asked.

Replying to criticism by MahaYuti for the absence of party MPs in the Lok Sabha when the bill was tabled, Thackeray said they were with him during his Delhi visit. "Had they been in the Lok Sabha they would have put up the party's argument. The land of the temples is usurped. Be it Waqf or places of any religion, we will not allow madness. We will not allow it to happen at all, we will not allow the land to be stolen,’’ he said.

"The Muslim community voted for us in abundance because of the work the MVA did during the coronavirus pandemic. We were with Muslims during the NRC, and CCA agitation when I as the Chief Minister had declared that we would do everything to protect their interest. PM Modi has brought the Waqf Board Reform Bill to add fuel to the fire. Why was this bill not approved when there was a majority?’’ he asked.

"Who was given the land in Ayodhya? Inquire to which trust it was given. Gold was stolen from Kedarnath. Investigate that too,’’ he said. Be it the Waqf Board or the lands of the Hindu institutions, Thackeray warned that he would not allow these lands to be given to favourite industrialists through the Waqf Board Amendment Bill.

On the ongoing protests over Maratha, OBC and Dhangar reservations in Maharashtra, Thackeray said that the states have no right to increase the limit of reservation as it is with the Centre. "Increase the quota limit (of 50 per cent) by consulting the Supreme Court. Bring a bill to increase the reservation limit. Give reservation to Marathas, give it to Dhangars. Keep the OBC quota the same. Bring the bill. We support. Instead, the BJP is dividing the communities,’’ he added.