Matoshree's plan: Project Uddhav as 'martyr', make him key Oppn leader

While Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena will go ahead with its long-drawn legal battle with the Eknath Shinde faction over the party's poll symbol, Matoshree has plans to project Thackeray as the 'victim' of the BJP's authoritarian style of functioning, according to party sources. This could result in Thackeray taking his place at the national level as key Opposition leader, said a Sena leader on Sunday.

- Ambarish Mishra

"He will be in the league of Sharad Pawar, Mamata Bannerjee, Nitish Kumar, and Akhilesh Yadav," the leader said. "Uddhavji will garner unprecedented sympathy from the people of Maharashtra if he is seen as crossing swords with the rulers of Delhi as did the Maratha heroes during Mughal times. There is already considerable anger among people that the BJP is using central agencies to silence its political rivals. The general opinion will thus go against BJP."