Mumbai: A galaxy of leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena alliance on Sunday urged the people of Maharashtra to "oust" the Congress-led government at the centre and bring the BJP-led NDA to power under the leadership of L K Advani.
Speaking at a rally in Mumbai, Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray, glancing at the massive turnout at the Shivaji Park in central Mumbai, said "seeing the enthusiastic gathering here, there is little doubt" which alliance would be voted to power in the elections.
Thackeray addressed Advani and said: "at the next rally after May 16, we want you to come here as the Prime Minister of Hindustan. Even Sena chief Bal Thackeray shall be there to welcome you." The crowd cheered its approval.
Discussing the issue of terrorism unleashed from across the border, Thackeray called upon the people of the country to unite. "If we are united, nobody will dare to look at us with an evil eye, if they do, we shall gouge their eyes," he declared.
During his brief speech, Thackeray trained his guns on both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi. "A foreigner woman has grabbed the control of the country. What is the Prime Minister doing about it?" he remarked.
Demanding a "decisive' government headed by a firm leader, he said: "Today, there is no better leader in the country than Advani. We must ensure that the saffron flag flutter in New Delhi after the next elections."
In a brief videographed speech that was played before the rally, Bal Thackeray demanded that nobody should vote for the Congress until Mohammed Ajmal Amir alias Kasab, the captured Pakistani terrorist after the Nov 26 attacks here, is hanged.
He admitted his body was weak and he could not address rallies like in the past. "In this country, if (H.D.) Deve Gowda could become PM, anybody can become PM. I am satisfied with only becoming the Shiv Sena chief," he said.
Addressing the rally, senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde said Advani was a tough leader like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Accusing the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government of failing to tackle the issue of terrorism, he urged people to vote for the tough and decisive BJP leader, Advani.
Former Lok Sabha speaker and senior Sena leader Manohar Joshi expressed confidence that the alliance would come to power after the next elections.
"Advani shall become the next PM of India with the blessings of Chhatrapati Shivaji. It is important for the saffron flag to flutter in New Delhi for the security of the country," Joshi said.
In his speech, Advani said some states shall throw up surprising results in the next elections - Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and a couple of states from the south.
Regretting that two top alliance leaders - former prime minister A.B. Vajpayee and Bal Thackeray - both ailing, were not present, Advani said: "It is our loss that they are not amongst us here.
"We miss them. At the same time, it is also a challenge for us to succeeed in the next elections with their blessings. We must not let them down," he said.
Earlier, other alliance leaders like Sena's Subhash Desai and Ramdas Kadam, opposition leader in Maharashtra, and BJP state general secretary Vinod Tawde addressed the gathering.
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