Opposition tired, almost wiped out: Uddhav Thackeray

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray expressed confidence on Friday that the BJP-Sena alliance would once again come to power in Maharashtra.

The Opposition is "tired", and has been almost wiped out from the political scene, he claimed, campaigning for October 21 state assembly polls in Amravati and Pune districts.

In Amravati, he addressed a rally for party candidates Preeti Band who is contesting from Badnera, Sunita Fiske (Achalpur) and Rajesh Wankhade (Teosa), and BJP's Dr Sunil Deshmukh (Amravati).

Thackeray said, "The Sena aims to make farmers debt-free, rather than making them avail loan waiver."

Praising the Modi government's crop insurance scheme and the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, he said he would make every effort to provide six free gas cylinders per year to those in the `extremely poor' category.

He also promised to provide a full meal at Rs 10 to the poor in rural areas, and primary health check-up at Rs 1.

Talking about the outcome of the assembly polls, he 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."

Referring to the defeat of Sena leader Anandrao Adsul from Amravati Lok Sabha constituency earlier this year, he asked party workers to ensure that it does not get replicated in the assembly polls.

Betrayal would not be tolerated, Thackeray warned.

The Sena chief criticised two-term independent MLA Ravi Rana, who is seeking reelection from Badnera with the backing of the opposition Congress and the NCP.

"He runs after power. He is not loyal to anybody. He is dreaming of becoming MLA on the strength of money," Thackeray said.

Rana's wife Navneet Kaur-Rana defeated Adsul in the Lok Sabha election.

Later, addressing rallies at Junnar and Pimpri-Chinchwad in Pune district, Thackeray said that "tired" political parties can not develop the state.

Opposition parties have been "wiped out" from the political scene, Uddhav claimed.

He also referred to his visit to Ayodhya in June.

"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," he said.

The Sena has been demanding a law or ordinance to facilitate construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya.

Thackeray also slammed the NCP for "making drama out of the ED (Enforcement Directorate) enquiry".

NCP chief Sharad Pawar recently offered to visit the ED office on his own after his name figured in a case registered by the agency in the Maharashtra Cooperative Bank scam.

"These people tried to prosecute (his late father) Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray during their rule for (what he had done for) protecting our people in Mumbai. Now you are making a hue and cry about allegations levelled by the ED," he said.