Aaditya won’t contest LS polls, says Uddhav

In a jibe at Pawar, says Sena cares for children of others too

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray (right) said he would not hold back son Aaditya from contesting elections whenever he wished to do so.

Taking a dig at Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar for his comments over Dr. Sujay Vikhe-Patil joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said on Wednesday he believes in fulfilling the wishes of the children of others, and not just his own.

“Like my own son, I also care for the children of others. It is not the Shiv Sena’s style to use other’s children to wash utensils. The Sena is for the common man,” Mr. Thackeray said.

He also said that his son Aaditya will not contest the Lok Sabha elections.

After Sujay, the son of senior Congressman and Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, switched to the BJP on Tuesday, Mr. Pawar had said, “Sujay Vikhe-Patil goes from one party to another and insists on a specific seat to fight polls. Fulfilling his immature desires is not the the responsibility of other parties. One should fulfil his son’s desires himself, I will fulfil my child’s. Why should I fulfil someone else’s desires?”

Sena list soon

Mr Thackeray, meanwhile, said that the list of the Sena’s candidates for the election is ready and will be announced within two days.

He also said that unlike Sujay or NCP leader Ajit Pawar’s son Parth, his son Aaditya will not jump into the fray this time. “Balasaheb [Thackeray] did not hold me back from fighting elections, and similarly, I will not hold back my son. He will contest when he wishes to.”

When asked about the Sena-BJP relations since announcing their tie-up, Mr. Thackeray said there won’t be any “stone throwing” from either side.