Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray on Saturday evening appealed to Marathi people to come together and vote for the Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party combine.
"Marathi people should come together and vote for Sena-BJP candidates to ensure that the saffron alliance wins the October 13 assembly elections," Thackeray said in a video-recorded message played at a well-attended joint rally of Sena-BJP at Shivaji Park on Saturday evening.
Addressing the rally on the penultimate day of the campaigning in poll-bound Maharashtra, the 83-year-old leader said the number 13, generally considered unlucky, is his lucky number.
"I got married on 13th. My grandson Aditya was born on 13th. Many other good things too have happened on the same date. Now, I strongly believe that on October 13th, votes would pour in for saffron alliance candidates," he said.
He also warned the opposition parties saying that they should shelve their plans to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra.
"I would never allow this to happen," Thackeray, who could not actively participate in election campaigning due to advancing age and frail health, said.
Thackeray also refuted the allegations that Shiv Sena is only interested in Marathi votes and not Marathi manoos.
Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray criticised the Congress for spiraling prices of essential commodities.
"Though they say, 'Congress Ka haath, aam admi ke sath', Uddhav said, "the way the prices of essential commodities is going up, no one would agree that Congress is with aam aadmi."
He also said many Maharashtra ministers are involved in several cases.
