Politics

Dev-Sena or Shinde-Raj? MNS Says No Alliance Talks Yet with Fadnavis, CM for Epic BMC Battle

November 1, 2022
Bharat Times

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has for now decided to go solo in the upcoming Brihanmumbai Muncipal Corporation (BMC) polls, party leaders say. The Raj Thackeray-led party, however, hasn’t completely ruled out a tie-up with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and CM Eknath Shinde-led Balasaheb’s Shiv Sena.

“So far, there is nothing concrete (on alliance). For now, we are planning to go on our own. (But) Politics is a game of chance. Anything can happen anytime. As of today, there is nothing like that,” senior MNS leader Nitin Sardesai told News18.

Talks of a tie-up between the three parties surfaced as Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis and Thackeray met publicly on several occasions, after the Shiv Sena’s vertical split in June that altered the state’s political landscape. The three leaders shared the stage last week at a Diwali event organised by the MNS at Shivaji Park in Mumbai.

MNS leaders deny any political links to the meetings. “It’s the culture of Maharashtra that people meet each other in the festive season to greet. It is not necessarily for political talks,” Sardesai added.

BJP: NOTHING YET; WE DON’T MIND, SAYS SHINDE GROUP

The BJP maintains there are no formal proposals for a tie-up with the MNS on the table.

State higher and technical education minister and former Maharashtra BJP Chief Chandrakant Patil said last week: “There is no proposal yet for a tie-up between BJP and MNS. There is no discussion. A proposal for an alliance has to first come up before the 13 members’ core committee which takes a final decision after thorough deliberations. There is no decision yet.”

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Leaders from the Shinde camp, however, say they are open to an alliance with the MNS.

“They (MNS) also have votes. It will definitely help us…What’s not to accept? We are taking Balasaheb’s ideology forward with us and if someone wants to join us in that, we have no issues. One plus one can definitely make two,” said Sada Sarvankar, an MLA from the Shinde group.

All eyes will be on the Marathi votes in the BMC polls, which, experts say, holds the key.

“The MNS has some pockets here (Mumbai), where it won a large number of votes. It’ll be a problem (for the parties) if the Marathi vote splits three-way between the MNS, Shiv Sena and Shinde group. If the adjustment (seats) is sorted, Marathi votes, which account for 30-32%, will benefit them,” Desai said.

ANDHERI EAST BYPOLL

Thackeray’s letter to the BJP last month, urging the party to withdraw its candidate in the upcoming Andheri East bypoll against Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) group also sparked a buzz in political circles. The BJP eventually withdrew its candidate, Murji Patel, from the contest.

Earlier, the MNS chief met Shinde at the latter’s official residence. The CMO tweeted that Thackeray met the Chief Minister for “over issues related to public health”

The two leaders also visited each other during Ganesh Chaturthi.

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The BJP, on its part, held separate meetings with Thackeray. Ever since he took charge as the Deputy CM, Fadnavis and a host of senior state BJP leaders have visited the MNS chief during the festive season.

HINDUTVA: THE CONVERGING POINT

All three parties, especially the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, vow to carry forward Balasaheb Thackeray’s ideology of Hindutva.

The MNS, after a makeover in 2020, of what many call the party’s ‘secular image’ to a hardline Hindutva stand, aligned it ideologically more towards the BJP.

The party, however, hasn’t found any electoral success recently. It won only one seat in the 2014 and 2019 assembly elections. In the BMC, six of its seven corporators defected to the Shiv Sena in 2018.

Additionally, the MNS also lost control of the Nashik Municipal Corporation in 2017, thanks to BJP making inroads, by winning only five seats.

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Born after Raj Thackeray’s exit from the Shiv Sena in 2005, the MNS in its initial years largely stuck to the Sena’s core issues of rights for the Maharashtrians and an anti-north Indian stand, before officially adopting Hindutva as its principal ideology.

DO-OR-DIE FIGHT

Known for fiery speeches like his uncle Bal Thackeray, political watchers say Raj’s large rallies have failed to convert into votes. The upcoming polls have been termed as ‘do-or-die’ for the MNS chief, with a possible alliance giving them a slight chance.

“Hindutva plus Raj Thackeray’s charisma in addition to the support of the BJP. Add all of this and the MNS can get little bit of success, not much,” senior political analyst Hemant Desai said.

He added: “The alliance (if it goes through) will be beneficial for all three parties. Raj Thackeray had an anti-establishment image. Earlier, he used to talk against the Congress and NCP. Now, he has taken a softer line. Hindutva is still there, but he is not saying anything against this government.”

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