‘A CM is common man, I am common man’: Aaditya Thackeray sets off buzz on Sena’s CM face

Aaditya Thackeray was joined by his entire family, including Uddhav Thackeray, mother Rashmi, brother Tejas and her extended family.

Aaditya Thackeray, the first from the Shiv Sena’s first family to contest an election, on Thursday filed his nomination papers for the Worli assembly seat with a promise to turn his constituency into what he called “Worli A plus”, and build “a new Maharashtra”.

29-year-old Aaditya Thackeray, a third-generation politician, is the first person from his family to contest elections since his grandfather Bal Thackeray founded the party in 1966.(Twitter/ Aaditya Thackeray)

The 29-year-old, a third generation leader of the party that his grandfather Bal Thackeray founded in 1966, reached the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation office in Worli to file his papers with the returning officer after a mega roadshow. Hundreds of Shiv Sainiks cheered him through the ride, his brother Tejas and mother Rashmi by his side.

Father Uddhav Thackeray and his extended family joined him at the BMC office. With a broad smile on his face, Uddhav Thackeray spoke about the party’s generation next coming on its own and thanked a long list of people who had made Aaditya’s nomination possible. In this, he singled out Sunil Shinde, the Sena’s sitting member of legislative assembly from Worli who had made space for his son.

ALSO WATCH | First Thackeray in poll fray: Aaditya files nomination after Mumbai roadshow

 

For the Thackeray family, Aaditya’s election is a huge break from the past. Bal Thackeray had famously spoken of his preference for wielding the remote control to the government over a public post. When his son Uddhav took charge of the party in 2012, he continued that tradition.

Over the last few days and weeks, Shiv Sena leaders had spoken of Aaditya Thackeray as the party’s presumptive chief minister if the situation ever comes up. In the seat-sharing deal that was finalised between the two parties, BJP and Sena leaders say the Shiv Sena has settled for a deputy chief minister’s post for Aaditya Thackeray in the NDA government led by Devendra Fadnavis.

Asked about the reports that he was in line to be a chief minister, Aaditya Thackeray insisted that he wasn’t “running for power”.

“This is my chance to work for Maharashtra and the country. I perceive the Chief Minister as a common man. I am also a common man,” he said.

Raj Thackera’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has announced its decision not to field a candidate from Worli in a gesture to the young politician’s plunge in electoral politics.

“I thank all those who have shown love and given their blessing to Aaditya. This is the third generation of my family which is in politics. It gives me great pride that we will continue to work for the people of Maharashtra and the country,” Uddhav said.

Sena leaders have cited two reasons for Aaditya Thackeray’s move. One, because the family believes that it would help establish Aaditya’s leadership and second, because of the assessment that it is better to keep the reins of power in its own hand rather than aspire to hold a remote control.

Aaditya Thackeray had tweeted a picture of him bowing before a portrait of Bal Thackeray ahead of filing his nomination. The young Sena leader had launched a state-wide ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ in August to express gratitude to voters for their support in the Lok Sabha election held earlier this year and also to seek their support for the assembly poll.

The Shiv Sena had fielded Aaditya Thackeray last week from the Worli seat, which is currently held by party leader Sushil Shinde.

Allies of the Shiv Sena were also seen during the roadshow as flags of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other NDA-ally Republican Party of India (A) were seen during the rally.

The Sena and BJP are jointly contesting Maharashtra assembly polls, scheduled to be held on October 21.

The Sena will contest 124 seats and get two seats of the legislative council from the BJP quota, while the BJP will have the lion’s share — 164 seats. The seat-sharing formula has not yet been formally announced, but Sena leaders unofficially released its list of seats the party will contest, on Tuesday. The votes will be counted on October 24.