Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar during the Mahayuti workers meeting, in Mumbai on July 6, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Commenting on Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray’s announcement to go solo in the upcoming State Assembly election, Shiv Sena leader and Minister of Education Deepak Kesarkar and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Narayan Rane have said that the dynamics are likely to change over the next few weeks. They also indicated towards the possibility of the regional party joining forces with the Mahayuti coalition once again.
Mr. Thackeray while addressing party functionaries in Mumbai on July 26 had announced contesting 225 to 250 seats in this Assembly election. Maharashtra has a 288-member Assembly. In the last five years, the MNS has switched from taking an anti-BJP stance to providing unconditional support to the BJP-led Mahayuti in the Lok Sabha election.
“In the near future we will have a meeting with Mr. Thackeray and it looks possible that he will change his decision and once again be part of the Mahayuti coalition,” Mr. Kesarkar said.
Even Mr. Rane indicated about such a possibility while speaking to media persons at the party head office in Mumbai on Friday. “Whether he contests solo or be part of our coalition, only the weeks to come will tell. There still is time for the State election. In any case, I wish him [Mr. Thackeray] the best,” he said.
The Mahayuti coalition comprise Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, the BJP, and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar led Nationalist Congress Party.
On the other hand, the Opposition has criticised Mr. Thackeray on the flip-flops, as he had in 2019 opposed Prime Minister Narendra Modi only to make a U-turn to provide unconditional support in the 2024 Lok Sabha election and now deciding to contest alone.
Congress leader and Maharashtra Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar said, “Raj Thackeray is confused. He takes a decision and backtracks from it. He should decide where he wants to be. There is no place for confusion in politics. We are no one to give him any suggestions.”
Mr. Thackeray had founded MNS in March 2006 owing to differences with his cousin and undivided Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray’s son Uddhav Thackeray. Several Shiv Sena leaders and workers supported the newly floated outfit. During 2009 Maharashtra Assembly election, MNS ate into Shiv Sena’s vote bank and cornered 13 seats. In the 2014 State election, 219 MNS candidates were in the fray but managed to secure only one seat – Sharad Sonavane from Junnar. In the last Assembly election, that is in 2019, 101 people were nominated by MNS and again could win only one seat – Pramod (Raju) Patil from Kalyan Rural.
During these three Assembly election, the party’s vote share was 5.71% in 2009, 3.15% in 2014 and 2.25% in 2019.
