Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray finds Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani "great leaders" but clams up when it comes to describing the new generation of leaders in BJP, his party`s oldest ally.
"Vajpayee and others were great, are great. They had
the power to build the party. Vajpayee built the `Jan Sangh`
on the power of his oratory," Thackeray said in an interview
in Sena mouthpiece `Saamana` today.
Asked how were his relations with BJP now, Thackeray
tersely said, "Why ask this question? There is no need for
this question."
"The relations (with BJP) are okay. There are two
types of people and relations. One of affection and another
professional," he said, adding "Vajpayee was great, is
great...Even Advani is senior and great. But now the new
generation has come."
BJP is an ally of Shiv Sena for over two decades and
the saffron combine will be taking on the Congress-NCP
alliance in next month`s Mumbai civic body polls.
Thackeray, 85, exuded confidence that the Shiv
Sena-BJP-RPI alliance would win the polls and said he
would address two campaign rallies. "I am ready for the BMC
elections. I will definitely address two rallies, one in Thane
and another in Mumbai," he said.
Thackeray slammed the Congress-led government in the
state for "politicising" the issue of Babasaheb Ambedkar`s
memorial on Indu Mill land here. "Dalits should not fall prey
to the tactics," he said.
PTI
