People don`t want Congress even in Opposition: Shiv Sena

The recently-concluded assembly elections in four states indicate that people want a change, Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray said.

Nagpur: The recently-concluded assembly elections in four states indicate that people want a change and don`t want Congress to sit even in the opposition, Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray said on Sunday. "The Modi wave sweeping the nation will ensure complete saffronisation after the 2014 general elections," Thackeray told reporters at a press conference here. People are fed up with the ruling alliance and there is no reliable face in the government, he said. "The NDA will emerge much stronger," he said, but refused to predict the number of seats it would win in the Lok Sabha polls.

Replying to a query that BJP is not visible in southern states and eastern parts of the country like West Bengal, Thackeray said that nobody thought that Kejriwal would defeat Sheila Dixit and therefore anything is possible after the polls. Thackeray said that Shiv Sena had opposed the Lokpal Bill and questioned the need for two power centres. "If Lokpal goes wrong way, what will happen? All powers should be vested with the President of India," he said. Commenting on former BJP national president Nitin Gadkari`s recent statement that Vidarbha would be given separate statehood if the BJP came to power, Thackeray said that it would not be possible. "We are in a coalition and the NDA will run on a common minimum programme. It will be opposed in the agenda," Thackeray said. On the Anti-Superstition Bill passed in Maharashtra Assembly which will reach the Legislative Council on Monday, Thackeray said that the Sena would reverse the "anti-Hindu" bill and protect the interest of all sections of society, including members of the Warkari community. He declined to comment on Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, saying it is not his party`s priority and does not understand why Congress president Sonia Gandhi should react on the issue.