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HomeOpinionRaj Thackeray wants a Modi-mukt Bharat, and is shooting from Congress-NCP shoulder

Raj Thackeray wants a Modi-mukt Bharat, and is shooting from Congress-NCP shoulder

Without a candidate or political stake, MNS chief Raj Thackeray has turned against BJP but finds leaders unwilling to take him seriously.

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Maharashtra’s political circle seemed to be working overtime to establish the role of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, who earlier this month announced support to the alliance between the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party in the Lok Sabha elections. By the end of last week, it had found in an old Bollywood song a complete analogy for the Thackeray gone rogue: ‘Begani shadi me Abdulla deewana’, which received endorsement by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis no less. Raj Thackeray’s speeches targeting the party, but especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he had even mimicked to rapturous applause at a recent public gathering, have rankled the BJP quite a lot.

But for someone whose party has no candidate in the fray, Raj Thackeray’s eagerness to speak for the Congress-led alliance begs the question: why? “Because I want to build an India that is free of Modi” – or, in the PM’s parlance, a ‘Modi-mukt Bharat’. Thackeray says his Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) had worked in the last Lok Sabha elections for a ‘Modi-yukt Bharat’, but because Modi has “backstabbed his supporters”, he has decided to work towards ridding India of Modi in 2019.

But while the ever-popular Raj Thackeray continues to draw impressive crowd at his gatherings, and wants to project his ‘Modi-mukt Bharat’ mission as genuine, some people are still annoyed with him. “What do we do with his speeches?” a leader of the ‘secular’ alliance (the Congress, the NCP, a few smaller parties and at least one independent) told me. “(His speeches) are more damaging to us than they are to Modi? It is true that he is a skillful orator and his satires are sharp, but the historical trend suggests that while people gather in great numbers to hear him, they usually go and vote for others,” the leader added.


Also read: The loneliness of Raj Thackeray — to ally or not, to contest elections or not


The alliance leader even takes a potshot at the MNS’ election symbol, Rail Engine. “(Raj Thackeray’s political position) is the reason why the MNS’s election symbol has no bogey attached to it. Why should we extend our platform to a leader who doesn’t enjoy a good political image? His image is also not good. Some people call him political entertainer while others have labeled him a stand-up comedian.”

The mockery and sneers hurled at Raj Thackeray forced me to take my query to another political leader: “What is your issue with the MNS chief’s political speeches for Lok Sabha 2019? Is it worth openly mocking the inheritor of Bal Thackeray’s legacy?”

The leader replied,” What else do you expect from us? Raj Thackeray’s MNS is not contesting even a single seat this time. The party had lost all the seats it had contested in 2014 Lok Sabha and assembly elections. Some candidates won the corporation election by mistake but even they moved over to the Shiv Sena. Now, Raj and his Rail Engine are all alone. There is not a single coach attached to it. He could not find a single candidate to contest (the 2019 general elections) on an MNS ticket. After all, who wants to contest an election when even their deposits are not safe? Several times we have told Raj Thackeray that navnirman (reconstruction) is not the way in politics. ‘Dhan nirman’ (money-making) is also important.”


Also read: Raj Thackeray 2.0 is talking in Hindi to north Indians, courting Sharad Pawar


The leader elaborated: “Things have now gone overboard. His party is not contesting elections, yet his habit of making speeches forces him to open his mouth every now and then. He is in a great dilemma about what to do now. For him, not contesting elections is fine, but not giving speeches is unfathomable. Even a proper sleep alludes him if he hasn’t delivered a provocative speech or two. Raj Thackeray is paying a huge price to satisfy his desire for political speeches. It may cost him all that he possesses.

At one time, Raj Thackeray used to be a proud Shiv Sainik, but his changed stance reduced his stature to a “Sharad Sainik” (soldier of Sharad Pawar’s army). There is a backstory to this, too. There was a time when Raj Thackeray used to rule the hearts of millions of Shiv Sainiks and nursed a grand ambition to be the uncontested leader of Shiv Sena. Now, all that is a thing of the past. The great dynasty demon has corrupted Indian politics in a big way and no political leader wants to share the spoils of power even within the extended family. Raj Thackrey is also a victim of this political tragedy. When he joined the Shiv Sena, every Shiv Sainik was enthralled. For them, he was Goddess Bhawani’s blessing sent to inherit the illustrious legacy of his uncle, Bal Thackeray.

His facial features were an exact match to his fiery uncle. In several ways, Raj Thackeray was a natural successor of Bal Thackeray and he tried to adopt whatever else he required to. He turned into an energetic leader and his oratorical skills had same satirical punch. He also started drawing cartoons (Bal Thackeray was a celebrated cartoonist of his time) but the younger Thackeray forgot one important political reality: sometimes even a cartoonist turns into a cartoon. The MNS chief learnt everything except Bal Thackeray’s political astuteness, which was grasped by Bal Thackeray’s son Uddhav Thackeray, the present Shiv Sena chief. It is not a matter of surprise that Uddhav outwitted Raj — after all, even the famous duo of Modi-Shah has been forced to compromise with Uddhav on his terms.


Also read: Uddhav Thackeray is the new Hamlet in Maharashtra politics


Hence, it is not surprising that Raj Thackeray, who was once a hero for the common Shiv Sainiks, is now a political zero. Another Bollywood song from Raj Kapoor’s epic Mera Naam Joker aptly summarises the current situation faced by Raj Thackrey: Kabhi kabhi hero ko joker ban jana padta hai. For long, Shiv Sainiks as well as political observers had believed that Raj Thackeray would be the ultimate winner of political Game of Thrones inside Shiv Sena. And yet, he had to quit and was forced to launch the MNS. In order to enhance his political acceptability, he also replaced the Shiv Sena’s saffron flag with the MNS’ chequered one. Secularism replaced Hindutva for political ideology. Raj rolled back Shiv Sena’s strategy by four decades and aggressively adopted the stand of being pro-Marathi manus. He had to launch a vicious campaign against Biharis and other north Indians because common Marathas could not identify with his bland no-Hindutva brand of politics.

But all this could not deliver any electoral windfall.

Perhaps, the MNS chief’s desire to make a ‘Modi-mukt Bharat’ stems from the fact that Modi supporters and BJP voters have already created a Raj Thackeray-free Maharashtra. Today, the MNS has no member in Parliament or the legislative assembly. There were some corporates but they too went over to the Shiv Sena. So, what Raj Thackeray wants is revenge.

But besides not being taken seriously enough, what is adding to his miseries is the Election Commission’s foul mood. The poll panel has enquired about the expenses on his rallies. So many forces are attacking Maharashtra’s once indisputable hero, who, despite everything, hasn’t given up yet. Like the main protagonist of Hindi film Gully Boy, Raj Thackeray continues to believe – Apna time aayega, apna time aayega!

The author is former News Editor of Jansatta, Mumbai, and Deputy Bureau Chief of Jansatta, Delhi. He has also authored ‘ISIS Aur Islam Mein Civil War’.

This article was first published in ThePrint Hindi (@ThePrintHindi). The original can be read here.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. Raj Thackeray’s strategy can be described as ‘King’s pawn’s gambit declined”. The King- Sharad Pawar himself is facing political extinction, if he doesn’t get significant numbers. Many of his generals have switched sides. The shrewdest politician has kept his options open and his post election behaviour is not predictable. He has used Raj Thackeray now during the campaign, but subsequent to elections he may disown him and lend outside support to BJP-led coalition. Anything is possible in politics.

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