MNS president Raj Thackeray speaks to the media, at social gathering workplace in Thane. (PTI file photograph)
Regardless of having sturdy companions just like the Shiv Sena and NCP, the BJP is reaching out to smaller regional events like MNS forward of Lok Sabha polls.
Is the ‘Mahayuti’ authorities within the Maharashtra in search of a fourth accomplice within the run as much as Lok Sabha Elections 2024? The massive query is being requested as a result of regardless of having sturdy companions just like the Shiv Sena and NCP, the Bharatiya Janata Celebration is reaching out to smaller regional events like Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) led by Raj Thackeray. Whereas the Mahayuti authorities was not seen as weak earlier than the entry of NCP led by Ajit Pawar, NCP’s entry has made strengthen this authorities within the quantity sport. Nonetheless, the accountability which has been thrust on Ajit Pawar and NCP is to seize the Western Maharashtra belt together with the penetration in rural Maharashtra, the place the BJP lacks. However with murmurs that the BJP is considering to rope in Raj Thackeray and his social gathering, hypothesis is rife that one other plan is brewing behind the curtains.
Raj Thackery and his social gathering, because the inception of MNS, have been elevating the difficulty of ‘Marathi Manus’ (son of the soil). Within the preliminary years, the MNS received a superb response from the folks of Maharashtra. Within the 2009 state meeting election, 11 MNS MLAs gained. Nonetheless, MNS couldn’t repeat the identical within the 2014 and 2019 Maharashtra meeting polls with only one MLA from the social gathering getting elected.
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This results in the query as to why the BJP would wish to have MNS on this alliance? MNS has a historical past of getting an “anti-North Indian” stand. The Raj Thackeray-led MNS has been seen taking an aggressive stand towards North Indians coming to Mumbai and Maharashtra for jobs. In 2008, MNS attacked and vandalised the retailers of North Indians in numerous elements of Maharashtra. They even opposed ‘Chhath Puja’, which is widely known on a big scale in several elements of Mumbai.
Raj Thackeray, whereas going forward along with his agenda, has additionally focused Bollywood celebrity Amitabh Bachchan, for selling Uttar Pradesh and doing enterprise with the state. Thackeray mentioned that it was the Mumbai movie trade that gave all glory, title and fame to Bachchan.
Whereas this anti-north Indian stand taken by Raj Thackeray has introduced him assist from the Marathi youth, it didn’t get transformed into votes after the 2009 election. Regardless of that, Raj Thackeray stays a crowd-puller and his rallies are jam-packed.
In response to the sources, BJP, who needs to chop Uddhav Thackeray’s votes within the state and the sympathy, which his social gathering nonetheless has, needs Raj Thackeray as fourth member within the ‘Mahayuti’ authorities. BJP, whose core voters within the state are north Indians and Brahmins, is hoping to draw the Marathi youth in pockets of Mumbai, Nasik, Thane with the assist of Raj Thackeray. Then again, Raj has been seen full-heartedly supporting Hindutva over the previous couple of years. Therefore, it is going to turn out to be simple for the BJP to justify why they’re becoming a member of fingers with Raj Thackeray within the state.
Nonetheless, whereas doing so, some north Indian voters might get damage as the injuries of 2008 are nonetheless contemporary of their minds. The BJP considering of roping in Raj Thackeray additionally raised questions if they don’t seem to be assured enought that Shinde-led Shiv Sena can appeal to Marathi votes for his or her alliance. In response to the sources, BJP introduced within the NCP into this alliance as a result of the social gathering was undecided what number of votes might Shinde fetch from rural areas to make their mission 400+ profitable within the Lok Sabha elections. The Shinde-led Sena has not but managed to hamper the sympathy that Uddhav Thackeray’s faction has received after the break up within the social gathering.
Although nothing has been formally confirmed by BJP and MNS about their alliance, Raj Thackeray holding a gathering with Amit Shah in Delhi is being seen as a serious improvement. As per sources, Raj Thackeray has put forth his demand to contest one seat within the upcoming Lok Sabha Election and likewise needs BJP assist in Maharashtra Meeting Elections later this yr. Sources additionally indicated that Raj Thackeray might ask for the South Mumbai seat his social gathering. At current, this seat is with Shiv Sena UBT and BJP chief Rahul Narwekar has already began his preparation. In such a state of affairs, if MNS will get this seat, it might not go down nicely with the core voter of BJP within the South Mumbai constituency. The MNS was at quantity two on the seat within the 2009 Lok Sabha Election and at quantity three within the following elections in 2014 and 2019. Though, the BJP didn’t contest the 2014 and 2019 elections from this seat as they had been in alliance with undivided Shiv Sena, the social gathering holds a robust assist on the bottom right here. If this constituency will get handed on to MNS, it might actually have an effect throughout the state meeting elections on BJP seats in South Mumbai.
There isn’t a doubt that the BJP needs to rope in as many like-minded events by their facet for the success of their mission 400+ and Narendra Modi changing into the Prime Minister for the third time. Within the state of Maharashtra, the place the combat is instantly between BJP and Uddhav Thackeray, having Raj Thackeray, who has nice oratory abilities, by their facet will assist them unfold the imaginative and prescient of Modi and the agenda of ‘Mahayuti’, whereas additionally attracting the youth of Maharashtra.
