Shiv Sena (UBT) is no small party: Uddhav Thackeray on Pawar's 'merger' remark

Pune: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said his outfit was not a 'small party', and hit out at Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis over their reactions to NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar's 'merger' remark.

Earlier, in an interview to The Indian Express, Pawar predicted that in the next couple of years, several regional parties will associate more closely with the Congress, or even merge with it.

While CM Shinde latched on to Pawar's comment to target Uddhav Thackeray saying he had already become 'Congress-minded', Fadnavis said it showed how difficult it was for Pawar himself to manage his party.

Speaking at an election rally in Pune district, Uddhav Thackeray said Shinde and Fadnavis were speaking as if they were high on 'bhang' (cannabis).

"Pawar saheb said while replying to a question that some small regional parties may merge with Congress. Please tell me, is Shiv Sena a small party?" he asked.

Thackeray also took swipes at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that unlike in 2014 and 2019, he has no issues left during the ongoing elections.

"I had heard in my childhood that if someone is scared of ghosts, he should chant 'Ram, Ram'. Since he is scared of defeat, he is going around the country chanting the name of Ram," said Thackeray.