Angry Thackeray roars back at EC

“What right the Election Commission has to decide which party should have what type of constitution ?” Thackeray demanded to know, reacting to the Election Commission’s insistence on the party to amend its constitution providing for organisational elections.

“We have adopted a system of appointing 12 netas…. I myself have been the lifelong head of the party, which I founded, since its birth,” Thackeray said, demanding to know how could it be changed.

“Who the hell are you (Election Commission) to decide that our system is un-democratic,” he roared, with a stern warning to E C : “we don’t challenge any one, but nobody should try to challenge us too.”“The Election Commission accepted my constitution at the time of registration of Shiv Sena as a party, and if it had any problem with it, the EC should have communicated to us long ago, but by raising this issue (of organisational elections) on the eve of elections, they (Election Commission) are just trying to enshackle me,” Thackeray alleged.

“We have declared our allegiance to the Constitution of India in the party’s constitution, what else you want,” he asked.

Thackeray said his party had been contesting elections since 1967 and commanded power in alliance with the BJP in Maharashtra since 1995 Assembly Elections.