Battle for Maharashtra: Will Raj Thackeray's MNS join hands with BJP ahead of Lok Sabha polls?

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has set lofty goals for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. To meet the target of over 400 seats, the saffron party is leaving no stone unturned to bolster the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Maharashtra is an important state for the party in this regard.

After Uttar Pradesh, the western state with its 48 seats sends the most MPs to the lower house of Parliament. The BJP, which is in alliance with Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-headed Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction, has now reached out to Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) to bring the party into the NDA fold.

Let’s take a closer look.

Raj Thackeray meets Amit Shah

MNS leader Raj Thackeray, who arrived in Delhi last night, met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday (19 March). The meeting has triggered speculations that he can join the BJP-led NDA bloc ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde was also present during the huddle.

आज केंद्रीय गृहमंत्री श्री. अमित शाह ह्यांच्याशी दिल्लीत भेट झाली. pic.twitter.com/8XMIEXydYq

“I was told to come to Delhi. So I came. Let’s see,” Thackeray had said after arriving in Delhi on Monday.

Although both parties have remained tight-lipped about a possible pre-poll alliance, the MNS is seeking three Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra – South Mumbai, Shirdi and Nashik, according to NDTV.

It is unclear if the BJP will meet this demand. As per Indian Express sources, the BJP is only expected to concede the Mumbai South seat to the MNS.

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule had met the BJP top brass in Delhi on Monday during which the tie-up with MNS was discussed, the newspaper reported.

On alliance talks with the MNS, Fadnavis had said last week, “Today, I cannot say anything about it officially….if any decision is taken, we will let you know”.

After the Tuesday meeting, MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar said a decision will be taken in the coming days. “He (Raj Thackeray) said that positive discussions were held and a decision would be taken in two to three days. I can’t tell how many seats were demanded but all the demands were discussed positively…” he was quoted as saying by ANI.

#WATCH | On Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray's meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi, MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar says, "He (Raj Thackeray) said that positive discussions were held and a decision would be taken in 2-3 days. I can't tell how many… pic.twitter.com/nFWGUY0Csv

The development comes as the saffron party’s Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra is yet to finalise seat-sharing in the state for the Lok Sabha polls. The bump is reportedly over a handful of seats.

Why is the BJP courting MNS?

MNS chief Raj Thackeray is the estranged cousin of Uddhav Thackeray. Raj, the nephew of Uddhav’s father and the late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, left the then-undivided party in 2005 and went on to form his own Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.

His exit had come following differences with his cousin Uddhav.

Raj Thackeray’s MNS performed its best electorally in the 2009 Maharashtra Assembly polls, winning 13 seats.

In the 2014 Assembly elections, the MNS contested 232 out of the 288 constituencies but managed to win only one seat. The party’s tally remained one in the 2019 state polls.

The MNS won six corporators in the 2017 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls. However, all, except one, joined the then undivided Shiv Sena headed by Uddhav Thackeray.

As per Indian Express, some in the BJP initially believed that a tie-up with the MNS was not needed as it is not a strong force in Maharashtra.

Raj Thackeray, who is a powerful orator, has also courted controversy in the past over his remarks against north Indians, which drew flak from several parties, including the BJP.

Then, why is the BJP keen to forge an alliance with his MNS? The answer lies in Marathi votes. The BJP is reportedly trying to make a dent in the Marathi vote bank of Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction.

“Raj Thackeray with his oratory skill will play a significant role in attacking the Opposition. He may not have a strong party network or potential to win many seats, but MNS still have some support base in Thane, Nashik, Mumbai, Kalyan and Pune,” a BJP source told Indian Express.

Maharashtra’s political landscape has witnessed a remarkable transformation in the last few years. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP and the undivided Shiv Sena contested together, securing 41 out of the state’s 48 seats. The alliance also won the state Assembly elections later that year.

However, the Shiv Sena parted ways with the BJP due to a dispute over power sharing. Uddhav Thackeray then joined hands with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP and the Congress to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

This was not the end though. In June 2022, Eknath Shinde rebelled against Uddhav, splitting Shiv Sena into two factions. The MVA government fell. Shinde came to power with the support of the BJP in the state.

Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena was split into two after Eknath Shinde’s rebellion in 2022. PTI File Photo

Uddhav lost the party name and symbol to the Shinde camp.

Similarly, Sharad Pawar’s NCP was splintered into two after his nephew Ajit Pawar’s revolt last year. After losing the party’s name and symbol, the senior Pawar’s faction is now known as NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).

Thus, the battle in the western state has become multipronged this year. The BJP seems to want to take no chance in Maharastra despite already having the support of Shinde-led Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction.

“The BJP believes it should further expand its alliance by getting all like-minded parties,” a senior political observer in the saffron party told Indian Express.

Taking a dig at the BJP over the possible tie-up with the MNS, Uddhav said the saffron party is attempting to “steal” a “Thackeray” to win elections .

“BJP knows very well that they don’t get votes in the name of PM Narendra Modi in Maharashtra. People vote here in the name of (Bal) Thackeray. This realisation prompted the BJP to try to steal leaders from outside (BJP fold),” he said at a gathering in Nanded district, reported PTI.

Accusing the BJP of trying to appropriate the legacy of his father, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said he was not bothered if the BJP forged an alliance with his estranged cousin.

With inputs from agencies