They may have made up after around five years of acrimony, but the Shiv Sena and BJP do not seem to be on the same page on some issues.

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said he did not agree with the BJP's concept of a 'Congress-mukt Bharat,' and stressed on the need for the Opposition to ensure justice for the common man. He also refused to call himself a 'chowkidar' and claimed he had no ambitions to become the chief minister of Maharashtra, though the Shiv Sena wanted its man to occupy the post.

"I never spoke of a Congress-free country. I never called for the Congress to be destroyed as the Opposition party must survive… I do not believe in such faltu (nonsensical) concepts," said Uddhav in an interview on Tuesday to the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana.

Uddhav, who was speaking to Saamana executive editor and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, added that the Congress lacked leaders of stature like former Prime Ministers P.V Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh.

Uddhav said while he had no animosity towards anyone, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and sister Priyanka were "struggling to establish themselves in politics," though it would take time for Rahul to emerge as a leader of the nation.

I am a common man and a Shiv Sainik. There is no need for a Shiv Sainik to be a chowkidar separately. A Sainik is a Sainik, who protects common people… I have no need to be a chowkidar as I fight for his (common man's) rights," said Uddhav.

The Sena president said he would visit Ayodhya again to stress on the construction of the Ram Temple at the disputed site. He claimed that after his last year's visit to Ayodhya, things have accelerated on the ground.

While acknowledging the contribution of BJP veteran and former deputy prime minister L.K Advani in propagating the cause of Hindutva, Uddhav, when asked about the denial of a renomination of Advani from Gandhinagar, said it is part of a natural process where leadership is devolved to the next generation.

NEED FOR OPPN

• Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said he did not agree with the BJP’s concept of a ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’ 
• He stressed on the need for the Opposition to ensure justice for the common man 
• He said he would visit Ayodhya again to stress on Ram temple issue