Mumbai, Jan 11: Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray finds Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K 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.
