The Shiv Sena turned 50 on Sunday and expectedly, party president Uddhav Thackeray spoke about its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Thackeray said he won’t break it first, but won’t run behind the BJP either, and asked his party workers to get ready to contest forthcoming BMC elections on their own. He was speaking at the Bombay Convention and Exhibition Centre in Goregaon, where the party members had gathered in large numbers to listen to him. He also admitted that because Narendra Modi held 27 rallies during the assembly polls the Shiv Sena suffered. His speech was little about Shiv Sena’s achievements and packed with criticism of BJP.

Aaditya and Uddhav Thackeray at the event in Goregaon. Pic/Rane Ashish