Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Mumbai: Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP is on a mission to expand the multi-party Maha Yuti and have once again reached out to Raj Thackeray, the president of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
Raj Thackeray is the nephew of late Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray and is the estranged cousin of former Maharashtra chief minister and now Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray.
The reports gained currency after Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar met Raj at Shivtirth, the latter’s residence at Shivaji Park in Dadar and spent some time.
Since the MNS also believes in the Hindutva ideology besides the welfare of the Marathi-Manoos, the BJP is inclined to ally with the party.
“As politicians and personal friends we often meet,” Shelar said.
On being asked, Raj said he would speak when the time comes.
Once an admirer of prime minister Narendra Modi, Raj had drifted away, however, now he had kept the cards close to his chest.
Raj enjoys good relationship with Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, who is now the Shiv Sena chief leader and deputy chief ministers - Devendra Fadnavis of BJP and Ajit Pawar of NCP, the key constituents of Maha Yuti, the NDA in Maharashtra.
In 2005-06, Raj walked out of the fold of his uncle following differences with cousin Uddhav and formed MNS.
In August 2011, he undertook a nine-day tour of Gujarat and admired Modi, the then Gujarat chief minister for his model of development; post 2014, he emerged as one of the most vocal critics of Modi.
During the run up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Raj had targeted Modi and then BJP president and now home minister Amit Shah. But once the alliance between Shiv Sena and BJP broke, he took up the cause of Hindutva besides the issue involving Marathi-manoos.
The other parties of the BJP-led Maha Yuti includes Ramdas Athawale-led Republic Party of India (Athawale), Hitendra Thakur-led Bahujan Vikas Aghadi, Bachchu Kadu-led Prahar Janshakti Party, Prof Jogendra Kawade-led People’s Republican Party, Sadabhau Khot-led Rayat Kranti Sanghatana, Vinay Kore-led Jansurajya Party, Mahadev Jankar-led Rashtriya Samaj Party.