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Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday stressed the importance of selecting the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) chief ministerial candidate before the Maharashtra assembly elections, rather than determining the candidate based on which party wins the most seats. Thackeray stated that he would support any candidate chosen by the Congress and NCP (SP) for the position.

Addressing MVA party workers, Thackeray framed the upcoming assembly elections as crucial for preserving Maharashtra's self-respect, contrasting them with the Lok Sabha polls, which he described as a fight for democracy and the Constitution. The assembly elections are expected to be held in October or November.

“The chief ministerial candidate must be decided first,” Thackeray said. “If we go by the policy of awarding the CM’s post to the party with the most seats, it will lead to internal strife and undermine the alliance.”

Reflecting on his previous alliance with the BJP, Thackeray noted that the approach of awarding the CM post based on numbers had been problematic. He said this strategy encouraged parties to work against each other’s candidates to gain an upper hand.

“I will back any candidate announced by Congress and NCP (SP) as the CM face of MVA,” Thackeray added. “This fight is not about me but about safeguarding Maharashtra’s rights.”

Thackeray urged MVA members to focus on protecting Maharashtra's pride and interests, and to act as ambassadors for the opposition alliance.

Turning to national issues, Thackeray questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to Hindutva in light of Modi’s recent call for a secular civil code. Thackeray challenged Modi’s stance, asking, “Have you abandoned Hindutva? You aligned with leaders who do not believe in Hindutva.”

Thackeray also criticised Modi for not passing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill while the BJP had a majority, and accused the government of using the bill to create divisions. He called for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into land deals in Ayodhya and warned against wrongdoing related to Waqf Board land.

“If you are going to steal Waqf Board land and give it to your industrialist friends, just like you are taking land from our Hindu temples for your contractor friends, we will not allow any wrongdoing,” Thackeray said.

He concluded by challenging the Election Commission to announce the Maharashtra polls.