'Aaditya Thackeray has all the qualities of the Chief Minister', says Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi reiterating party's demand

A day after Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that his party wants that Aaditya Thackeray as the next Maharashtra chief minister while speaking to Republic TV, Manohar Joshi has on Thursday demanded to make Aaditya Thackeray as CM candidate.

He said this while speaking to media as various Shiv Sena MLAs arrived at Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's residence on Thursday.

"Aaditya has all the qualities of the Chief Minister. He should become Chief Minister. I saw him since childhood," he added.

Joshi is one of the prominent leaders of the Shiv Sena and was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 1995–1999. Earlier while speaking to Republic TV, Raut had answered a question about rumours of Aaditya Thackeray contesting the state assembly elections, he said:

"Uddhav Thackeray will decide whether Aaditya will contest or not but Maharashtra needs a young CM like Aaditya Thackeray and we believe that the people of Maharashtra will accept Aaditya as their CM," he said.

On June 9, BJP chief and Home Minister Amit Shah had held a meeting of all the leaders of the poll-bound state in New Delhi. A strategy for the assembly elections in the state of Maharashtra, Jharkhand, and Haryana was chalked out in the meeting. 

READ: "Shiv Sena And Other Allies Will Get As Per Their Expectations", Says Maharashtra BJP Minister Stating That CM Devendra Fadnavis Will Expand His Cabinet Ahead Of Monsoon Session

On June 11, sources had said that Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray was disappointed and had expressed his disappointment over Mungatiwar's statement where he had allegedly said that BJP will have the right to the CM post. However, the Shiv Sena had claimed that as per seat-sharing deal, Chief Minister's post will be shared among the candidates of both the parties for 2.5 years each. 

In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 23 seats and Shiv Sena won 18 seats. In the last assembly elections, the Shiv Sena contested 282 seats and won only 65 while the BJP won 122  seats out of contested 260. However, sources said that tensions are mounting within the Sena as assembly elections approach in the state. 

READ: Shiv Sena Eyes Sharing Of Maharashtra CM Post If Alliance Is Voted To Power In State Elections, Fumes At BJP Leader's Claim