Still to find a berth, the Opposition “Mahaghatbandhan” in the State, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray may spell out his party’s stand whether it will be a part of the Opposition front or go it alone in the polls, at his party’s 13th foundation day here on March 9.
Raj — whose party has not so far come to an electoral understanding with any political party despite his desperate efforts to hitch a ride on the Opposition bandwagon for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls – will unveil the MNS' road map for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls and the subsequent State Assembly polls at the party rally on Saturday. In its effort to whip up enthusiasm among the cadres ahead of the party’s foundation day rally to be held at the Rangsharda auditorium at Bandra in north-west Mumbai, the MNS has gone to town with teasers in the social media, exhorting the party workers to be ready for a “surgical strike” from its president, at Saturday’s rally. Notwithstanding the efforts made by Raj to jump onto the Opposition bandwagon ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, there is still uncertainty on whether the MNS will be admitted into the Opposition “Mahaghatbandhan”.
Between the two main constituents of the “Mahaghatbandhan”, the NCP has evinced interest in taking the MNS into the Opposition fold, while the Congress staunchly opposed the Raj Thackeray-led party’s inclusion in the Opposition front.
It may be recalled that former deputy chief minister and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar had on February 12 made a strong case for MNS’ inclusion in the “Mahaghatbandhan” to ensure consolidation of the Opposition votes.
Subsequently, Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan said that his party had conveyed to its ally NCP that it could not come to an understanding “covertly or overtly” with the MNS to include it in the “Mahaghatbandhan” cobbled up for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls. Chavan’s statement came in the backdrop of the hints thrown by the NCP that it would offer the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat to the MNS.
Talking to media persons, Chavan had said that the Congress would not “tolerate” any move by the NCP to forge a seat-sharing arrangement with the MNS “either overtly or covertly”.
The Congress’ hesitation to take the MNS into the “Mahaghatbandhan” stems from the fact it fears that the presence of the Raj Thackeray-led party in the Opposition front might erode its north-Indian vote bank.
Though he sought to mend his ways by participating in a north-Indian convention recently, Raj has been targeting the north-Indians settled in Mumbai ever since he quit the Shiv Sena and founded the MNS on March 9, 2006.