Mumbai: The All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday during a public rally in Malad area of Mumbai suburbs urged Muslims to unite in order to elect Muslim leaders from the state.

Addressing the gathering Owaisi said, "If Sharad Pawar, Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray can become chief ministers and also the leaders of Maharashtra then why can't the Muslims become chief minister of Maharashtra. Also if all the Muslims will unite and cast the votes then Muslims can become leaders. Just by raising slogans one cannot become leaders."

He also said that he had no sympathy for former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray after his party split and also Shiv Sena's name and symbol was allotted to the Eknath Shinde faction.

"Names of places such as Aurangabad have recently been changed, but the BJP is not talking about developmental works and unemployment. The Congress, NCP and other parties are silent on the renaming issue," said Owaisi.

(With UNI inputs)