Uddhav Thackeray to break silence in racecourse rally today

After his party's acrimonious split with the BJP after two-and-half decades of political partnership, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray will break his silence on Saturday. He will also unfold his party's agenda for the state assembly elections as he kicks off his election campaign with a rally at the Mahalaxmi racecourse.

Uddhav has been projected as his party's chief ministerial nominee in the first state elections to take place after the death of Sena supremo and his father Bal Thackeray, who enjoyed a talismanic appeal over the party faithful. He had been steadily projecting himself as the state's leader by presenting vision documents on various issues.

Uddhav is expected to speak on the BJP's decision to part ways, the unravelling of the six-party Mahayuti rainbow coalition, Shiv Sena's vision document for the state, Hindutva, the Marathi manoos agenda and the Congress-NCP regime. Sena leaders and Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray will also address the gathering.

Sena leaders claim that regardless of the split, Maharashtra's voters will vote the party to power "as a mark of respect to Balasaheb".

The state will see such multi-polar, fragmented contests for the first time since the 1985 assembly elections.