Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray to hold joint rally in Thane on Jan 12

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena MNS president Raj Thackeray on Thursday announced that he will address an election rally with Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray in Thane on January 12 reported news agency PTIPolls to 29 municipal corporations including Thane will be held on January 15 while votes will be counted the next dayAddressing the media while campaigning in Thane Raj Thackeray said he had come to meet party workers rather than deliver a speech reported PTIUddhav Thackeray and I will address a joint rally in Thane on January 12 he said reported PTIHe also paid floral tributes at the statue of late Shiv Sena leader Anand DigheThe MNS chief visited the Shiv Sena branch at Charai inaugurated in 1986 by Bal Thackeray and signed the attendance registerMarathi manoos will be powerless if BJP controls civic bodies Raj ThackerayMeanwhile MNS chief Raj Thackeray launched a scathing attack on the BJP alleging that those seeking to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra are in power at the Centre and in the state and warned that if they control the municipal corporations Marathi manoos will be rendered powerlessIn the first part of a joint interview of Raj and Shiv Sena UBT president Uddhav Thackeray published in the latters party mouthpiece Saamana on Thursday the Maharashtra Nanirman Sena MNS chief said he and his cousin have come together not for their existence but for that of Marathi manoos in the stateThe Thackeray cousins were interviewed by Sena UBT Rajya Sabha member and Saamanas Executive Editor Sanjay Raut and noted director Mahesh ManjrekarLast month the cousins announced the alliance of their parties for the January 15 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC electionsIn the Saamana interview Raj Thackeray said those from outside the state are not just coming for livelihood but they are forming their own constituenciesIt is an old woundefforts are on to realise the dream of separating Mumbai from Maharashtra he claimedToday the atmosphere is similar to what it was during the Samyukta Maharashtra movement when Gujarat wanted Mumbai to be its part he saidThose who want to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra are in power in the Centre as well as the state Raj Thackeray said targeting the BJPMarathi manoos will not be able to do anything if they BJP control the municipal corporations he claimedIt is necessary to control the civic bodies if boundaries have to be set on this especially in Mumbai Pune Thane Nashik MiraBhayander KalyanDombivali and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar the MNS chief saidTargeting the state government Uddhav Thackeray said the BJP publicises development but it leads to destruction rather than progressIt is development without planning he claimedThe government does not know what it wants the former state chief minister addedHe said that unfortunately those in power are Marathi or from Maharashtra but they have nothing to do with the people of MumbaiThey only work for contractors the Sena UBT chief chargedRaj Thackeray also targeted the state government over the increasing drug menace It is necessary to link the use of money in politics and drugs which are available easily he saidHe claimed that raids against drugs have stopped and there is no control over drug peddling in the stateWith inputs from PTI