Shiv Sena's loss a defeat of the people of Maharashtra: Uddhav

Mumbai: Accepting moral responsibility for the drubbing in the recent elections, Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray said on Monday that the party would function as "a responsible opposition" in the assembly.

Breaking his silence for first time since the election results five days ago, Thackeray said senior leader Subhash Desai would lead the 44-strong Shiv Sena Legislature Party.

"I accept moral responsibility," Thackeray told reporters at a press conference.

Promising to function as "a responsible opposition party", he said the party would strive for justice for all and, if required, also raise the issue of Hindutva.

Claiming that the party had raised valid issues in the Oct 13 assembly elections, he said the Shiv Sena's debacle was "a defeat of the people of the state".

He also admitted that the tally of 44 seats - with a total 90 to the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party combine in the 288-member assembly - was "way below expectations".

"We have always fought for the interests of the Maharashtrians and shall continue to do so always. Nobody can separate the Marathis of the state from the Sena and Bal Thackeray," he declared.

He also took a dig at his estranged cousin, Raj Thackeray, chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) that bagged 13 seats.

"What is the contribution of those who have won 13 seats," Thackeray asked sarcastically, without taking any names.

"We are not upset by the defeat," he said, adding that nobody should raise any "doubts over my leadership capabilities".

To a query, Thackeray said the party's main challenger in the state was the Congress. "We have no differences with our ally, BJP," he added.

He endorsed the scathing editorials penned by father Bal Thackeray in the party mouthpiece Saamna after the election results.

In the editorials, Thackeray senior first blamed the people for pushing the state into "hell" and later Maharashtrians for "betraying the party and stabbing it in the back".