Amit Shah's ‘mouse’ remark will backfire on BJP, says Shiv Sena

Pune: Shiv Sena leader and former Maharashtra Minister Shashikant Sutar asserted on Monday that BJP's mocking at the Sena by calling it a "mouse" had created a rage among the Sainiks and galvanised them into a frenzied campaigning for a clear win in the October 15 Assembly polls.

Pointing to BJP President Amit Shah's oblique reference to the estranged ally with the "mouse" analogy at a rally in Aurangabad last week, he said "This mocking at the Sena is sure to backfire."

"Our cadres, enraged over it, have accepted the challenge of winning the election independently and the barb has actually galvanised them into a frenzied campaign mode on the last leg of elections" he added.

He asked voters "to see through the design" of certain political parties which have summoned groups of activists from other states to come and campaign in Maharashtra, mobilizing support of their respective communities residing here.

"People of Maharashtra should vote for the Sena which believes in God, Nation and Religion" and realise the dream of making Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeay the Chief Minister," Sutar told reporters here.

Sutar, who served in the saffron alliance Government (1995-99), said if the Sena came to power, it would not allow division of Maharashtra.

"We respect Prime Minister Modi whom we expect to give a strong leadership to the country, while the Sainiks want Uddhav Thackeray to take over reins of the State." Meanwhile, Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray, at a poll rally here last night, said it was strange that BJP which calls the youth as future of the country, should object to his joining the seat-sharing talks with their leadership.

"I am 24-year-old. The right to vote is given at age 18. Was it a crime on my part to have joined the negotiations of Mahayuti (grand alliance)?" he asked. Aditya accused the Shah-led party of backstabbing Sena founder the late Bal Thackeray and BJP leader Gopinath Munde by breaking the 25-year-old saffron alliance.