Lok Sabha elections 2024: MNS now ruffles SS-BJP alliance

Raj Thackeray. File pic

MNS chief Raj Thackeray's bid to get even with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde may upset the odds of Shiv Sena in Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency. After Thackeray announced his support to Mahayuti, the coalition led by BJP, his party has thrown the proverbial spanner in the works, by expressing staunch opposition to the shortlisted candidates of Sena (Shinde). MNS has objected strongly to fielding Sanjay Nirupam, who recently quit the Congress or Ravindra Waikar, the candidates considered by Sena for the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat. MNS support for the Shiv Sena may appear crucial in Mumbai North West as 37.2 per cent of its voters are Marathi speakers.

Recently, during the Gudi Padwa rally, Thackeray had announced unconditional support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At the rally, the MNS chief revealed that for nearly a year, Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis were pursuing him to join hands with them. In fact, the Sena-BJP offered MNS one or two Lok Sabha seats. But, it is reliably learnt that Shinde's offer came with a string attached - the candidate from MNS would have to contest the Mumbai South seat on the Sena's bow and arrow symbol. This did not go well with Thackeray, who refused to take the offer.

Raj Thackeray said that the dy CM had been pursuing him to ally with the Mahayuti. File Pic/Sameer Markande

MNS leader Shalini Thackeray on Tuesday through a social media post warned the Mahayuti against fielding Waikar or Nirupam as their candidate from Mumbai North West. Speaking to the media, she said, "The MNS party workers and supporters will not work for these two (Waikar and Nirupam) candidates."

Shalini Thackeray, speaking to mid-day said, "The Shinde camp does not have enough candidates and is dependent on leaders from other parties to join them. Ideally, the Shinde faction should have agreed to the MNS fielding a candidate without any conditions rather than asking to fight the election on the Shiv Sena symbol, a proposal which will never be acceptable to party chief Raj Saheb or any other MNS leader, worker and supporter."

The MNS is objecting to Nirupam's candidature on grounds that he is anti-Marathi, while it is opposed to Waikar being fielded as the politician is being subjected to a probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for allegedly construction a luxury hotel on a Bombay Municipal Corporation plot reserved for sports and entertainment.

In March, Waikar deserted Uddhav Thackeray's camp and joined the Shiv Sena led by Shinde. While Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray has announced Amol Kirtikar's candidature for the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat, the Mahayuti is yet to finalise its candidate. Gajanan Kirtikar is the sitting MP from this seat. In 2019, Kirtikar Senior was elected on a Shiv Sena (undivided) ticket, but he shifted loyalties to Shinde. According to sources in the Shinde camp, the chief minister is not considering repeating Gajanan Kirtikar and instead contemplating Waikar and a few Marathi actors.