The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has extended 'unconditional support' to the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP alliance in Maharashtra, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Party chief Raj Thackeray said he was close to the BJP since it formed an alliance with the undivided Shiv Sena in the 1990s and recalled a visit to Gujarat while Narendra Modi was chief minister. The MNS chief insisted he was the first in India to back Modi as prime minister – a claim that has since drawn a sharp response from Congress.
“Shiv Sena had formed an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party around 1990. After that, my association with the BJP increased… I went to Gujarat and built relations with Narendra Modi. When I came from there, I was asked how Gujarat is doing. I said development is happening in Gujarat, but Maharashtra is way ahead. I was the first person in the country to say that Narendra Modi should be the Prime Minister of the country,” Thackeray recalled.
Much has been said about the possibility of Raj Thackeray's MNS joining the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The party does not yet have a candidate for the upcoming elections.
However, Congress leaders insist that Thackeray's support will not affect the opposition coalition's election prospects. Senior party leader Vijay Wadettiwar also recalled that the MNS chief took a strong stand against Prime Minister Modi in 2019.
“When Raj Thackeray visited Delhi, it was clear that he would go with the BJP. But we did not expect a tiger to turn into a lamb so quickly. Will a fighter like Raj Thackeray become a slave?” Wadettiwar asked while speaking to reporters.
(With input from agencies)
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Published: Apr 10, 2024 3:20 PM IST