Mumbai: Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday asked NCP(SP) President Sharad Pawar and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan to announce the chief ministerial candidate ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly election and assured that he will extend his support.

Thackeray said this at the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) joint rally here, the first after his recent three-day visit to Delhi where he met Congress and other INDIA bloc leaders.

With this statement, he has silenced his critics. The ruling MahaYuti alliance had alleged that he was bowing before “trivial people” with an eye on the chief minister’s post ahead of the Assembly election and had abandoned the Shiv Sena’s core ideology.

He said that all was well within the MVA as there was no dispute among them over the CM’s post. He also said the sole aim was to overthrow the MahaYuti government.

Thackeray, however, made a strong pitch for the Maha Vikas Aghadi partners and its rank and file to further strengthen unity and work in support of its nominees to defeat the MahaYuti government comprising BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP. In a serious bid to put a show of unity during the Assembly election, Thackeray urged the MVA partners and cadres not to fight over seats, saying that together they would overthrow the MahaYuti government.

“The MahaYuti government has woken up now and is printing pictures of themselves everywhere. However, we have to gear up to fight the Assembly elections. The MahaYuti leaders are asking who is the MVA’s Chief Ministerial face. Is Uddhav Thackeray the face of Chief Ministership or who else? I want to say now as Sharad Pawar and Prithviraj Chavan are sitting here, if any of you have a face for the CM’s post, announce it, I will support,’’ said Thackeray.