Speaking at a `meet-the-press' programme here on Monday, organised by the Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh, he made it clear that his party had not left the Hindutva as an election plank. He said "Hindutva is rashtriyatva. It is a nationalist approach and it would be taken up during electioneering."

"Appeasement of Muslims and minorities would be retaliated with the Hindutva plank while remaining within the context of model code of conduct to avoid disqualification of party candidates," the Sena chief said. He took a strong objection to the formation of Ummid, a social voluntary organisation floated by the thespian Dilip Kumar "to safeguard interests of Muslims."

"How can we sit quietly when opponents are on announcement spree. While one has announced formation of Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad Financial Corporation for Muslims and minorities, the other party has promised special attention on education," he noted. Thackeray expressed displeasure on the Election Commission's ruling disenfranchising him till 2001 and said that "voting is a a birth right for him and the EC should have not debarred him from that." On the outburst against the EC ruling by the Shivsainiks, he said that he would direct his party workers to stop morchas and agitations against the EC ruling from Tuesday. "However, this will be an election plank for the Shiv Sena," he added.

Thackeray said that the EC ruling would not have any impact on his party's electoral prospects in Maharashtra. "Though I have been prohibited from voting, a large number of citizens would cast their votes in favour of Shiv Sena while protesting against the EC judgement," he added.

The Sena supremo said that his party would make a foreign-born Sonia Gandhi aspiring to be the Prime Minister as an election issue. He recalled that,"it was I who raised this issue for the first time by vehemently opposing Sonia becoming the Prime Minister in 1998 elections."

On the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP combine's prospects in the state, he said that the party would get a comfortable majority in both the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. "The alliance which had boldly taken on the undivided Congress and defeated it in 1995 elections, does not see a major challenge now when the Congress has divided," he opined.

On the recent fued between his son Uddhav and nephew Raj over the supremacy in the party, Thackeray said that the matter which was given undue publicity, had been settled now. "Uddhav will look after party's press and publicity campaign while Raj has been made in charge of production of audio and video cassettes for election campaigning," he added.

Thackeray hoped that the BJP-led alliance would win a majority in the coming general elections and ruled out the possibility of Congress forming the government at the Centre. "In case, BJP and allies do not make it, I strongly feel the country will witness a civil war," he warned.

The Sena supremo denied kickbacks taken either by him or the ruling Sena-BJP government from US multinational, Enron for the revival of project. "I don't want to blame anybody for the revival of this project. If any body wants to put an onus on me, I am prepared to accept that," he remarked.