Thackerays’ reunion does not imply alliance for polls: MNS leader

A day after talking about a possible patch-up between the warring cousins, MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande said that coming together did not always imply an electoral alliance.

“Coming together for Maharashtra does not mean it is only for elections. Marathis can also come together for issues of interest to Maharashtra. Just like Tamil parties had come together on the Cauvery issue in Tamil Nadu, what is the problem with Marathi parties coming together? Alliance for elections is a narrow-minded idea,” Deshpande posted on X.

The genesis of the alliance idea was on Saturday when MNS chief Raj Thackeray and the Shiv Sena (UBT) said in separate statements that they were willing to come together in the interest of Maharashtra and Marathi people by putting aside their differences. The statements came after the state government decision to make Hindi mandatory in schools.

In response to a question in a podcast with filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar, which was released on Saturday, Raj said, “For me, everything else is secondary to the interest of Maharashtra. For that, I can set aside minor disputes and I am ready to work with Uddhav. The only question is if he too is ready.”

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In response, Uddhav Thackeray said, “I, too, am ready to set aside minor disputes for the Marathi language and Maharashtra. I am ready to work together but he (Raj) should not host anti-Maharashtra people and parties any more, and take an oath in front of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.”

The condition did not go down well with the MNS. “Who was given the Shiv Sena (UBT) the right to issue certificates on who is pro-Maharashtra and anti-Maharashtra?” asked Deshpande on Sunday. “Will Uddhav Thackeray apologise for filing 17,000 cases against MNS workers for agitating against illegal loudspeakers on mosques? Does he realise that was a mistake?”

Deshpande said the AIADMK and DMK had come together against the imposition of Hindi. “Will the Sena (UBT) also join us in an agitation on the same issue?” he questioned.

While Deshpande took a dig at Uddhav for his “pre-conditions”, Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, said that the party was “wholeheartedly ready” for a possible coalition. “Thackeray only said that the BJP does not fit into the idea of Maharashtra’s interest, which is not a condition but public sentiment,” he said. “After Raj Thackeray’s statement, Uddhavji responded and there were no conditions imposed. Two brothers are coming together for the good of Maharashtra.”

Raut clarified that the Sena (UBT) had only said that the MNS should not dine with anyone who was against Maharashtra. “There is nothing wrong with it. It is not a condition but the sentiment of the people,” he said. He also emphasised that allegations and counter-allegations could damage the possibility of an alliance between the Thackeray cousins.

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Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde is clearly not happy with the development. A few days after Raj had dinner with Shinde at his Dadar residence, the Shiv Sena’s national spokesperson Sanjay Nirupam launched a scathing attack on the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT), saying they were both using Maharashtra’s name for personal and political gains. “The people of Maharashtra have decisively rejected both the Sena (UBT) and the MNS,” he said. “These parties pretend to stand for Maharashtra, but in reality, they are only chasing power and self-interest. Politically, they are irrelevant.”

Taking a swipe at both parties, Nirupam remarked, “The MNS couldn’t win a single seat in the last assembly elections. Politically, both UBT and MNS are bankrupt. And when you add zero to zero, the result is still zero. Even in business, two loss-making entities don’t make a profitable one.”

The Shinde Sena politician claimed that Uddhav was “desperate”. “Uddhav Thackeray sacrificed the principles of Hindutva to serve his personal ambition, family interests and hunger for power by aligning with the Congress,” he said. “This betrayal has cost him the support of the people, and now he is turning to Raj out of desperation.”