MUMBAI, January 16: Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray today said that his party would take a decision about fielding a candidate from Pune Lok Sabha constituency only after defected Congress leader and former Railway minister Suresh Kalmadi clarified his stand on his candidature.``His stand is still ambiguous for us. Once he says he has quit Kesri Congress but not the national Congress. He must tell us how many Congress parties are there. We have serious doubts about his motive. If our support is acceptable to him, then why is he ashamed of our poll symbol?'' Uddhav questioned. He was addressing a press conference with Sena leader Subhash Desai at Shivalaya, the Shiv Sena office at Nariman Point.Uddhav further said that the Sena would be fielding a total of 136 candidates outside the State and his party was looking forward to the Bharatiya Janata Party for an alliance at these places also. A meeting of leaders from outside the State was supposed to be held on January 21 and 22, after which the final list would be released, he said.Once again changing the party's stand about the Muslims, Uddhav categorically said that the Sena was not against the Muslims but only opposed the rashtra drohis (those who betrayed the nation). He said the minority community was scared for some time after the alliance government came to power in the State but by now has gained confidence in it. He said that the Sena has started its shakhas even in Muslim-dominated areas like Nagpada and Bhendi Bazar.Briefing journalists about the Sena's campaign for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, Subhash Desai said that the party has decided to go on internet. A website named SHIVSENA.ORG was registered with the Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited and it would be inaugurated on January 23, on the occasion of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's birthday. Apart from information text, the website would consist figures, graphics, photographs, maps, literature, schemes announced by the alliance government and brief talks by Bal Thackeray.Desai further added that a new audio cassette Sa Re Ga Na - Shiv Sena was under preparation and Raj Thackeray was giving final touches to it. This cassette was next on the line of an earlier such effort of the party when it had released Shiv Sena Top Ten before the 1995 Assembly elections. The cassette would comprise Marathi compositions based on popular numbers from Hindi movies like Haak maare oh chacha haak maare, Na na na na na de na de, Janam samza karo and dhol bajne laga etc.The cassette would be released by Bal Thackeray at Kolhapur this Sunday when he would address the first public rally to kick off campaign for his candidates.Sena's baal netaOn the political dais, there was an absolutely non-political person sitting next to Uddhav Thackeray. Dressed in a t-shirt having Michael Jackson's photographs and name embossed on it and a pair of trousers, an approximately 10-year-old blue-eyed boy watched Uddhav and Desai answer various queries by the scribes. He was Aditya, Uddhav's son. When asked if he was present as a baal neta and the Sena was thinking of launching Baal Sena, Uddhav only looked at his son and smiled in reply.
