By Apurva Bhatt

The Metro 3 project of the state government seems to be getting more heated. On Friday  Uddhav Thackeray warned the BJP-led Maharashtra government that the Shiv Sena will throw out the Metro-III project if it ended up uprooting the 'Marathi manoos' from the city, a warning many consider a political game.

According to a Vijay Datar a senior political analyst, “Uddhav Thackeray is preparing a political pitch for the 2017 BMC polls. He knows very well that Shiv Sena should come to power and outnumber its partner BJP. His focus is only Mumbai.” The Sena shares office with BJP in the state. However, "we will not hesitate to fight Metro-III if it wreaks havoc on Marathi Mumbaikars," Thackeray said.

The Sena president was addressing a party event, held under the aegis of the Sthaneeya Lokadhikar Samiti (SLS) at Hutatma Chowk. Stating that Marathis enjoy a good fight for a good cause, Thackeray said, "If Metro-III threatens Marathis and their areas, Sena will throw out the project." Thackeray's speech is a categorical signal that the Sena is all set for confrontation with the BJP government on the Metro-III issue, said experts.