"We have great respect for Bala Saheb Thackeray. If he were alive, the alliance between Sena-BJP would not have broken," he said.
Addressing a poll rally here for the October 15 Assembly elections, Rajnath said Maharashtra needs 'maha-parivartan' (grand change), and sought people's support.
He also hit out at Congress, saying it is busy criticising the BJP government even though we have reduced the prices of petrol several times and kept inflation under check.
Maharashta farmers are facing agrarian crisis and are in deep distress, and BJP, if voted to power in the state, would improve their economic conditions by opening agro-based industries at taluka level, he said.