Raj releases first list of seven lS candidates
In a strategic move that will have a significant bearing on the both pre and post-lok Sabha poll scenarios, MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday declared his party’s support to BJP-led NDA’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in the post-poll scenario, but released the party’s first list of seven candidates for the polls.
Ending intense media speculation arising out of senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari’s luncheon meeting with him on Monday last, Raj announced that his party would not only contest the lok Sabha polls, but it would also extend its support to the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate after the polls.
Addressing his party workers at Shamukhananda Hall here on the occasion of his party’s eighth foundation day, Raj said: “There been considerable speculation in the media as to whether or not my party will contest the lok Sabha polls. let me make it very clear today that my party will contest the polls and show party’s strength.”
Releasing the party’s first list of seven candidates, the MNS chief said that he would release the second list of the party’s candidates in the next two-three days.
Meanwhile, the BJP’s Maharashtra unit was guarded in its reaction to Raj Thackeray’s announcement. Talking to The Pioneer on Sunday evening, State BJP president Devendra Fadnavis said, “We would have welcomed Raj Thackeray’s support to our prime ministerial Narendra Modi, had he withdrawn his party fully from the lok Sabha polls. The BJP’s stand is crystal clear that we will support only the NDA constituents in the lok Sabha polls.”
Spelling out his party’s post-poll strategy, the MNS chief said: “I am cent per cent confident that my party’s candidates will get elected in the polls. The elected MNS candidates will support the candidature of Modi for the Prime Minister’s post. We are all for seeing Modi as the next Prime Minister of the country. My party’s victorious candidates will co-operate with Modi fully in the future interest of the country.”
On the delay in his unveiling his party’s plan for the polls, Raj said: “You must have been wondering as to why I am not spelling out party’s stand on the polls. I wanted to let everyone to speak first on the party’s likely stand on the polls. I was waiting for an appropriate time to speak on the issue. Now I am confirming that my party will indeed contest the polls.”
Raj said that he would soon announce the date of launch his party’s campaign for the polls. “I will not only announce the date of launch of the MNS’ campaign, but will also spell how I have arrived at the decision (to contest the polls) that I have taken and how my party will take on its rivals in the polls,” he said.
The MNS chief’s announcement came six days after Gadkari met him at a city hotel and requested him not put up candidates against the BJP-led “Maha-Yuti” (grand alliance), to avoid division of the Opposition votes in the lok Sabha polls.
Notwithstanding his announcement about the MNS contesting the lS polls and extending its support to Modi in the post-poll scenario, Raj has not fully shown his cards through his first list of seven candidates released at the party’s seventh anniversary function.
While the MNS’ first list clearly suggests that the party will take the Shiv Sena head-on in the polls, it does not give an inking as to how it would deal with the BJP candidates in the polls. For, the MNS has nominated six of its candidates who will be pitted against the Shiv Sena, while it has so far fielded only one candidate against the BJP in Pune.
The seven MNS’ nominees figuring in the party’s first list are: sitting MlA and Raj’s close aide Bala Nandgaonkar (Mumbai South seat), Aditya Shirodkar (Mumbai South Central), actor-director Mahesh Manjrekar (Mumbai North-West), Raju Patil (Kalyan-Dombivli), Ashok Khandebharad (Shirur), Dr Pradeep Pawar (Nashik) — all of whom will be taking on the Sena nominees in the polls -- and Deepak Paigude who will be fighting a BJP candidate in Pune.
The BJP has yet to announce its candidate for Pune lok Sabha seat. Informed party sources said that the BJP would put up either its senior sitting MlA Girish Bapat or the party’s local unit president Anil Shirole from Pune constituency.
Of the total 48 seats in Maharashtra, the BJP is contesting 26 seats, while the Shiv Sena has 22 seats in its quota. From its quota of seats, the Sena has given one seat each to the RPA(A) led by Ramdas Athavale (Satara) and Ravi Shetty-led Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (Hathkanangale).