Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, along with his 18 lawmakers, to visit Ayodhya for offering prayers

Ahead of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's visit on Sunday to offer prayers at the makeshift Ram Lalla temple, his party leader Sanjay Raut said the Ram temple will be constructed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

He said Mr Thackeray, who will be joined by 18 newly elected party MPs, is fulfilling the promise he made in November that he would visit again after elections and asserted that his party has "not sought votes in the name of Ram and will not do so in future".

Maharashtra will be going to polls later this year. The visit is being seen as an attempt by the Shiv Sena to put pressure on ally BJP. But Sena has maintained that Mr Thackeray's visit should not be seen through the electoral lens.

"Ramlala is not a subject for politics but it is matter of our faith. We have not sought votes in the name of Ram and will not do so in future. When he (Uddhav) visited Ayodhya in November he promised to come again after elections. He is fulfilling his promise," Mr Raut said at a press conference.

On construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, Mr Raut said, "It will be constructed in Modi and Yogi's leadership. The BJP will decide on it. The majority in 2019 is for construction of Ram temple. In Rajya Sabha too we will get majority by 2020."

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Mr Thackeray, who will be reaching Ayodhya Sunday morning, will offer prayers at the makeshift Ram Lalla temple, address a press conference and leave later in the evening. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited Ayodhya last Friday to offer prayers at the makeshift Ram Lalla temple.

His visit, the first after the Lok Sabha election results, was apparently aimed at reiterating support for the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site.

"It is everybody's wish that Ram Mandir must be constructed," he had said after unveiling a seven-foot Ram statue at a museum in the city.

He also took part in the week-long celebrations to mark the birthday of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas chief Mahant Nritya Gopal Das.

The title suit over the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site is being heard by the Supreme Court.

Soon after the BJP got a second term in the Lok Sabha elections, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat had said, "Ram's work has to be done, and Ram's work will get done."