Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar ahead of the former’s ambitious rally on Sunday. Both leaders met for 30 minutes at Mr Pawar’s Mumbai residence, Silver Oak, Saturday morning.
Mr Thackeray clarified that this was a courtesy visit as he could not meet Mr Pawar in Pune on the day of his famous interview.
“After the interview in Pune on February 21, I did not talk to Mr Pawar there. So, I have asked for his time just as a courtesy,” said Mr Thackeray.
According to political observers however, the meet will reflect in Mr Thackeray’s Sunday rally where he is likely to slam Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis over a range of issues.
Mr Thackeray will address MNS workers on the eve of Gudi Padwa, which is Maharashtrian’s New Year. MNS activists have put up banners to create buzz ahead of Mr Thackeray’s rally. The banners call it “a new start of a new battle”.
A close colleague of MNS chief said, “Mr Thackeray has been attacking PM Modi and the BJP for the past six to eight months now. It is expected that he will go all out on Sunday against the BJP to energise the cadre ahead of the crucial 2019 elections.”
Mr Pawar too has taken a strong anti-BJP stand in his recent public meetings. With this as backdrop, Mr Thackeray’s meeting Mr Pawar is politically important and the assumption is that both leaders will try to stitch their policies in a way so as to damage the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance.
Senior journalist Prakash Bal said, “If you look at the BJP's leads in 2014, you will get to know that MNS's votes from 2009 have shifted largely to BJP. MNS is mainly a Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Nashik phenomenon. It combines 11 Lok Sabha seats as well as 66 Assembly seats. So, if MNS could perform well here, it will help the Congress and NCP.”
