Talks ‘positive’ Raj Thackeray’s MNS likely to re-enter NDA : report

Mumbai: Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray met Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Tuesday suggesting that the Maharashtra leader is again turning to the BJP years after parting ways, according to The Indian Express.

Thackeray’s son was also present at the meeting which comes years after MNS walked out of alliance, protesting against what the party at the time claimed ‘ unkept’ promises.

Those who follow the political development in Maharashtra over a couple of decades may well remember Raj Thackeray ‘rooting’ for Narendra Modi as the prime minister in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Following Tuesday’s meeting, senior MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar reportedly termed the talks between two leaders on the Lok Sabha polls as ‘positive’.

Raj Thackeray’s son-of-the-soil or Marathi Manoos ideological planks earlier made BJP wary of having any understating with MNS as it might ‘ alienate the saffron party’s North Indian vote bank in Mumbai’, according to the report.

However, as the BJP is working this time on ‘ Mission 45 plus’ in Maharashtra where it earlier won 41 seats, there appears to be a difference in the party’s approach.

The Indian Express reported citing sources that the BJP will offer Raj Thackeray the South Mumbai Lok Sabha seat, while MNS is looking for one more seat ‘Shirdi’ in order to gain enough votes to retain the status of a ‘ state party’.

Acknowledging MNS as ‘strong Hindutva face’, the RSS has reportedly given permission to the alliance.

Raj Thackeray ‘s MNS did not contest the previous Lok Sabha polls showcasing its downward spiral, despite his efforts at building up the party on Bal Thackeray legacy.

ON the other hand, MNS carried out a campaign projecting what it said ‘ failures’ of the BJP-led government in both centre and state at the time.

Back then, Raj Thackeray told rallies that the contest was between ‘dictatorship’ and ‘democracy’ and questioned PM Modi over Pulwana attack where 40 CRPF personnel were killed.

However, when Modi returned to power bagging greater number of seats in 2019, Raj termed the result ‘beyond rationale”, and ‘incomprehensible’, according to the report.

The BJP kept the ‘channels open’ in order for a rapprochement with the MNS about two years ago, The Indian Express reported citing sources.

Senior BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as well as the party’s state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule reportedly took time off to visit Raj Thackeray over the past few days.

The MNS chief met both Fadnavis and CM Eknath Shinde over the past year, ‘ostensibly to raise important public issues’.

More important, Chhagan Bhujbal of the Ajit Pawar NCP , an ally in the NDA, said on Tuesday that MNS joining the group will strengthen the alliance.