MNS Raj Thackeray says he is yet to decide on BJP’s offer

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray disclosed on Monday that he had received an offer to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, Thackeray said he has not yet reached a decision on the matter, citing concerns over the current political landscape in the state.

Speaking at a party meeting, Raj Thackeray, the estranged cousin of former Chief Minister and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, did not divulge the source of the offer or its timing.

He expressed hesitation in making a decision due to the involvement of the Shiv Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) group headed by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar in the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra.

"As Shinde and Ajit Pawar are with the government, and since the BJP has not clarified what will be done with Ajit Pawar, I have not been able to take any decision on this," Raj Thackeray stated.

Thackeray also speculated about the ongoing political dynamics within the NCP, suggesting that Ajit Pawar's move to the BJP had the blessings of NCP President Sharad Pawar. He went on to predict that the remaining faction of the NCP would eventually follow suit and join Ajit Pawar in the state government.

Ruling Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat and other party members welcomed the prospect of Thackeray's potential move to the BJP, stating that it could prove beneficial for both the MNS and the existing three-party alliance in power.

However, NCP MLA Rohit Pawar, the grand-nephew of Sharad Pawar, dismissed Raj Thackeray's predictions, asserting that the NCP remains united and committed to its current course.