Pune, October 14: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Monday said the state needed a "strong" opposition party which can take the government to task and ask tough questions.

Addressing a rally in Pune, Thackeray said," Looking at the condition of Maharashtra, the state needs a strong opposition which will not bend and crawl before the government." He said he had asked political parties to boycott the polls over the issue of EVMs but no one was ready to do so. Who Will Win Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2019? Here's What ABP News Opinion Poll Results Predict.

Thackeray said the MNS decided to contest elections as it was important to have a presence in the Assembly to raise issues of the people. Thackeray claimed the automobile sector in the country had taken a hit and said 10 lakh people would be laid off in the days to come.

He said the Devendra Fadnavis government hadn't started work on the Shivaji Memorial while neighbouring Gujarat, also led by the BJP, had inaugurated a memorial for Sardar Patel.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)