Mumbai: Refuting allegations by Sena-BJP leaders that his party was responsible for division of Marathi votes leading to the defeat of candidates of the saffron alliance in Maharashtra, MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Friday said he had "only made Marathi voters aware of their rights."
"I did not divide Marathi votes. I only made the 'Marathi manoos' aware of his rights," Raj Thackeray said addressing a party meeting at Shanmukhanand Hall here tonight.
Raj Thackeray-led party is being blamed for the defeat of Sena-BJP candidates in over half-a-dozen constituencies.
Congress-NCP alliance swept all the six Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai, largely due to the division of Marathi votes as MNS candidates ate into the saffron combines traditional vote bank.
Referring to Shiv Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray's criticism of MNS's role during the elections, Raj said "let him first clarify if he voted for the BJP candidate Mahesh Jethmalani from north-central Mumbai and if Jethmalani is a 'Marathi manoos'".
Refraining from commenting on the criticism by his uncle and Sena chief Bal Thackeray that 'any one who is enemy of Marathi people is also my enemy', Raj told the gathering, "I have always said that I would not say anything against Balasaheb Thackeray".
Expressing confidence that MNS would do well in the assembly polls scheduled later this year, Raj said "MNS would have a say in election of next Chief Minister of Maharashtra."