New Delhi: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday reacted to his cousin and MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s meeting with home minister Amit Shah, saying the BJP is trying to steal “a Thackeray” to ensure its victory in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing a gathering in Nanded district, Uddhav Thackeray said he would not be bothered if the BJP took away his cousin.

Raj Thackeray met Amit Shah in Delhi today amid speculation that the former is trying to stitch an alliance with the BJP for the polls.

“BJP knows very well that they don’t get votes in the name of PM Narendra Modi in Maharashtra. People vote here in the name of (Bal) Thackeray. This realisation prompted the BJP to try to steal leaders from outside (BJP fold),” he said.

“First, they stole the photo of Bal Thackeray, but it doesn’t matter. Today, they are trying to steal another Thackeray….take it, I and my people are enough,” he said after concluding his two-day tour of Nanded and Hingoli districts in the Marathwada region.

Uddhav Thackeray said the people of other religions have no problem with his version of Hindutva. He said the image of the undivided Shiv Sena was being sullied by the BJP.

“The image of Shiv Sena (undivided) was getting sullied when we were with the BJP. But since we severed ties with them, even members of Christian and Muslim communities are saying that they have no issues with our Hindutva ideology,” he added.

Raj Thackeray was a Shiv Sena leader. However, in 2006, he founded MNS after quitting the party due to differences with Uddhav Thackeray.

MNS performed well initially. Ihas lately lost steam electorally. Raj Thackeray, however, is still popular.

Uddhav Thackeray, meanwhile, also attacked the BJP over SBI’s electoral bonds disclosure.

“BJP should declare the funds it collected under the electoral bonds scheme. My party Shiv Sena (UBT) will also declare the funds. Shiv Sena (UBT) also got electoral bonds, but it did not receive these donations by scaring the donors of the Enforcement Directorate or through grant of favours to them,” Thackeray said.

In 2022, Uddhav Thackeray’s confidante Eknath Shinde led a rebellion of Shiv Sena MLAs over the former’s alliance with ideologically opposite Congress and NCP, leading to a vertical split in the party. Uddhav Thackeray, the son of late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, lost the chief ministerial post as well as a significant chunk of his party.

Shinde, who enjoys the support of most of the Shiv Sena MLAs and MPs, later joined hands with the BJP and formed a coalition government in Maharashtra, pushing Uddhav Thackeray to the margins of the state’s politics.

With inputs from PTI