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Thackeray keeps 'options open' on successor

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray said he would not impose his successor, but people would decide on who should inherit his legacy.

"I will not decide whether Uddhav or Raj should take over the reins of the organisation. It has to be decided by the people," Thackeray said in an interview to party mouthpiece Saamna, when asked as who would head the party after him.

"With advancing age, I am losing my power to sustain shocks and it is my earnest request to family members not to hurt me", the Sena chief said without naming anyone.

Peeved over Raj's public outburst against the party leadership over the manner in which tickets were distributed for civic body polls, the Sena patriarch had reprimanded his nephew.

Thackeray also expressed anguish over the party leaders deserting him.

"I don't want them to be my slaves but at least they should remember that because of me they have attained this success," he said.

Thackeray lambasted senior party leader and former chief minister Manohar Joshi, Union Heavy Industries Minister Narayan Rane, Subhash Desai, the party spokesman and Leeladhar Dake, the former Maharashtra minister, for 'neglecting the regions allotted to them'.

He said that if anyone accuses him of accepting money for allotment of tickets in the civic elections, then he would commit suicide in front of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji.

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