People will decide if I'm ready for Maharashtra's CM post: Aaditya Thackeray

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Amid talks of him being the Shiv Sena's contender for the Maharashtra chief minister's post, Yuva Sena president Aaditya Thackeray on July 19 said it is the people of the poll-bound state who will have to decide whether he is ready for the top job or not.

Speaking during his 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra', Thackeray said his immediate priority, however, is to listen to the people's voice and fulfil promises the Shiv Sena has made to them.

The 29-year-old chief of the Shiv Sena's youth wing has undertaken the mass outreach programme ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls due in September-October.

Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, who is accompanying Thackeray during the yatra, Thursday said the Yuva Sena leader would become the chief minister if the coveted post goes his party's way post-poll.

The Shiv Sena is at present sharing power with the BJP at the Centre and in the state.

"It is the people who will have to decide whether I am ready to occupy the post or not. I can't talk about it as this is the only thing which is not in my hand.

"The only thing that's in my hand is to fulfil the promises the Shiv Sena makes," Thackeray told Marathi news channels here in North Maharashtra.

The young politician, the son of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, has embarked on the yatra "to thank" those who voted for the party in the recent Lok Sabha polls and "win over hearts" of those who didn't.

The Shiv Sena had won 18 of the 23 Lok Sabha seats it contested in Maharashtra.

"My first priority and duty is to listen to the voice of the people. Whether we are in power or not, the Shiv Sena is the only party which stands with the people all the time," he said.

During an interactive session 'Sanvaad' with students at a city college, organised as part of the yatra, a student asked the youth leader if he would like to work as education minister to solve the academic problems faced by youngsters.

Thackeray replied "yes".

"The home ministry is considered as the most important department in the country. But equally important is the education department if we were to look at the future. I definitely would like to work in that department," he added.

He pitched for encouraging research and innovation in the country.

The yatra, which will cover four districts of North Maharashtra, was launched in Jalgaon on July 18. It will cover Nashik and Ahmednagar districts over the next two days.