Congress keen on breaking Marathi solidarity: Uddhav Thackeray

Admitting that drubbing in the Lok Sabha elections still hurts, Shiv Sena Executive president today alleged that Congress was trying to break the Maharashtrian solidarity.

Thackeray, who launched Sena's campaign for assembly polls this evening here, did not name Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) which ate into Shiv Sena's Marathi votebank in Mumbai in the Lok Sabha election.

But he said: "Congress has given `supari' (contract) for breaking Maharashtrian solidarity. First it broke up Hindus. Now it's Marathis." "Defeat in Lok Sabha polls still hurts," he said, adding that due to his focus on rural Maharashtra during the polls, Mumbai was ignored during campaigning.

"Now it is your responsibility to take care of campaign here," he told Shiv Sena workers. He also said Congressmen invariably come together at the time of elections and win, though later they bicker a lot.

"We do not realize this. That is why Congress wins again and again," he said, asking workers to follow Congress's suit in this respect. He also warned the former MNS leaders recently joined Shiv Sena that they should not expect tickets.