People happy over Ram temple not necessarily a vote for BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha elections, says MNS chief Raj Thackeray

Raj Thackeray. File pic/PTI

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief, Raj Thackeray, Friday said that while the people are happy with the inauguration of new Ram temple in Ayodhya, it doesn't necessarily translate into votes for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) solely based on the temple issue during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing a press conference Thackeray maintained a non-committal stance on his party's participation in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which are just a few months away.

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Thackeray said, "No one can predict the result of the Lok Sabha polls. Let the elections happen. People are happy with the Ram temple, but it does not mean they will vote for the BJP."

Responding to a query about the inclusion of MNS in the state's opposition bloc, Thackeray retorted, "Who wants to go with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)?"

When questioned about the Maratha reservation issue, the MNS chief stated that all the demands of the community were accepted except the quota demand.

Thackeray announced his intention to meet Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday to share toll plaza data collected by his party. He emphasized the need for transparency in toll transactions, stating that while he is not against toll collection, funds should be directed to the government's coffers for administration, not to toll collectors or political parties.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday asked why the government was not acting against Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal over alleged scams in the civic body.

Speaking at a gathering of party workers in neighbouring Raigad district, he slammed the BJP-led Union government for unfairly targeting his party leaders over alleged financial irregularities in the purchases made by the BMC during the coronavirus pandemic.

In many of these cases, Chahal had signed the files, the former Maharashtra chief minister claimed.

"Why the commissioner is not being arrested? Because he is with you now? Whatever scams that are happening in Mumbai are administrative scams," Thackeray said.

Sena (UBT) leader and former city mayor Kishori Pednekar was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate earlier this week in an alleged scam in the purchase of body bags during the pandemic.

Chahal, who is acting as administrator of the BMC since the term of its elected body expired in March 2022, would on Friday present the budget of the country's richest civic body, and "he himself will pass it," Thackeray quipped. (With inputs from PTI)