Ahead of Uddhav's Ayodhya visit, Sena says Ram temple will be built under leadership of Modi, Yogi

Ahead of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's visit here on Sunday to offer prayers at the makeshift Ram Lalla temple, his party leader Sanjay Raut said the Ram temple will be constructed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modia and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

He said Thackeray, who will be joined by 18 newly elected party MPs, is fulfilling the promise he made in November that he would visit again after elections and asserted that his party has "not sought votes in the name of Ram and will not do so in future".

Maharashtra will be going to polls later this year. The visit is being seen as an attempt by the Shive Sena to put pressure on ally BJP. But Sena has maintained that Thackeray's visit should not be seen through the electoral lens.

"Ramlala is not a subject for politics but it is matter of our faith. We have not sought votes in the name of Ram and will not do so in future. When he (Uddhav) visited Ayodhya in November he promised to come again after elections. He is fulfilling his promise," Raut said at a press conference here.

On construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, Raut said, "It will be constructed in Modi and Yogi's leadership. The BJP will decide on it. The majority in 2019 is for construction of Ram temple. In Rajya Sabha too we will get majority by 2020."