With an apparent eye on the crucial 2022 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil called on MNS chief and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bitter critic Raj Thackeray at the latter’s residence here on Friday.
Amid speculation doing rounds in the State political circles for the past few days, Patil drove to the MNS chief’s residence “Krishna Kunj” residence near Shivaji Park in north-central Mumbai at around 11.30 am and spent 40 minutes with the latter.
Though there was no official word on what transpired at the meeting, the two leaders are understood to have discussed the possibility of their parties entering into a seat-sharing arrangement for the BMC polls.
Talking to media persons after the meeting between the MNS chief and Patil, Raj’s confidant Bala Nandgaonkar said: “In the recent past, Rajasaab had sent video clips about his speeches on north-Indians settled in Mumbai. May be the two leaders must have discussed that issue.
But, the issue is the MNS chief’s domain. Hence I have nothing to say much on that”. Asked if the MNS would have a tie-up with the BJP for the BMC polls, Nandgaonkar said: “No can predict as to what will happen in politics. In politics, anything can happen at any time”.
“When Chandrakant Patil came out of meeting, he was in a happy mood. He told me something in my ear.
But, I cannot spell out what he told me. But, one thing I can say that the meeting was constructive in nature. We never think in negative terms. We were constructive and positive in approach when we contested the polls on our own. Even now we are constructive in our approach,” Nandgaonkare said.
On his part, Patil said: “There is no proposal about the BJP and MNS joining hands for the 2022 BMC polls”.
It may be recalled that in the February 2017 BMC polls, the Shiv Sena—which currently rules the Mumbai civic body – had won 84 seats followed by BJP: 82, Congress: 31, NCP: 9, MNS: 7 and others: 14. The Sena and BJP had contested the polls on their respective strengths.
Eight months after the elections (in October 2017), the Shiv Sena weaned away MNS’ six corporators in the BMC into its fold, thus snuffing out the efforts by the BJP snatch power from it in Asia’s largest civic body.
In the earlier 2012 polls, Shiv Sena had won 75 seats, followed by BJP (31), Congress (52), NCP (7), MNS (27), SP (9) and others (32). The Sena and BJP, it may be recalled, had contested the 2012 BMC polls as an alliance.
Friday’s meeting should be seen in the backdrop of the face that the MNS has been a vociferous critic of Modi since 2014. As recently as in May this year, Raj had heaped praise on West Bengal chief minister Mamta Banerjee for return to power by saying that “constant struggle has been the core” of the TMC chief’s political journey and it had reached the epitome in the recent West Bengal elections where she emerged victorious.
“Both Maharashtra and West Bengal have always resonated similar perceptions and a similar backdrop whereby artistic and a progressive thought process takes precedence… To keep up with this legacy, its imperative that states get adequate autonomy, a sense of regional identity and pride,” the MNS chief had said.
Earlier in April this year, Raj had slammed the Centre’s decision to control the purchase and distribution of Remdesivir vial and told Prime Minister Narendra Modi in no uncertain terms that “the situation is grim and terrifying”, “our health system has collapsed”, “this is not the time to indulge in petty politics” and “we must come together and face the situation collectively”.
In a letter written to the Prime Minister on the issue of allowing the states to purchase and distribute Remedesivir and other essential drugs and materials required for Covid-19, Raj had said: "I fail to understand why the Central Government has decided to control the purchase and distribution of Remdesivir. It is the state government's machinery - its health department, local institutions such as municipal corporations and staff at all levels that are at the forefront of this crisis".
“They (the state government machinery) are working with utmost dedication and facing daily challenges of ensuring right treatment to the patients. Why, then, should the central government control the purchase and distribution of Remdesivir?,” the MNS chief asked.
Maintaining that it was "heartbreaking" to see the spurt in the death rate while the images of queues of dead bodies awaiting their turn in Gujarat and other states were "very disturbing", the MNS chief said: "The situation is very grim and terrifying. This is not the time to indulge in petty politics. We must come together and face the situation collectively”.
“We have not witnessed a health emergency of this magnitude in the history of our country in the last 100 years. The challenge we face is a bigger one,” the MNS chief said in his letter without mincing words.
“Our health system has collapsed. The speed of testing has slowed, hospitals do not have sufficient beds, essential medicines such as Remdesivir are not available and the life saving supply of Oxygen is disrupted,” he said.
“Though much larger population is now eligible for vaccination, it is uncertain whether we can ensure availability of vaccines in sufficient numbers to provide for the vaccination of all those eligible. We need to organise the management of this pandemic very carefully,” Raj said.
“Amidst this, I was shocked to learn that the Central government plans to control the purchase and distribution of Remdesivir, a key drug in the treatment of Covid-19,” the MNS chief said.
