New Delhi: Rendered irrelevant in Maharashtra politics, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray is seeking to revive his fortunes by rallying anti-BJP forces.
Thackeray, who met former Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi Monday, is learnt to have sought meetings with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Tejashwi Yadav and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief M.K. Stalin.
The MNS described Thackeray’s meeting with Gandhi as a mere ‘courtesy call’, but Maharashtra Congress leaders believe he is trying to cobble together an opposition front ahead of the assembly elections due in the state in a few months’ time, though Thackeray’s aides insist the meetings are only about alleged EVM tampering.
False dawn
Once seen as uncle Bal Thackeray’s political heir, the MNS chief finds himself on the political margins in Maharashtra today. His meeting with the former Congress president — who was at the receiving end of the late Shiv Sena founder’s jibes and diatribe — came as a surprise to Congressmen, who have been lukewarm to the MNS’ overtures to the party.
Thackeray’s MNS had stayed away from the Lok Sabha elections, but he managed to create a buzz after addressing some well-attended rallies in 10 constituencies, where he attempted to ‘expose’ the Narendra Modi government. His speeches went viral, especially the slogan ‘Lava re video’ (play the video). The elections, however, provided a reality check, with the BJP-Shiv Sena combine winning in 8 out of these 10 constituencies.
Political analyst and Congress Rajya Sabya MP Kumar Ketkar is of the view that Thackeray is seeking to “put up a joint fight against Modi-Shah” by meeting opposition leaders.
“While regaining political relevance may be a reason for Thackeray meeting Gandhi, it is not the focal point,” he said, adding that Sonia Gandhi is open to meeting anyone ready to take on the BJP’s powerful duo.
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Decline of MNS
The MNS, launched in 2009, espoused the ‘sons of the soil’ ideology and ‘Marathi pride’ in a more emphatic and aggressive manner than the Shiv Sena, and tasted quick success.
At one point in time, it even wrested the Shiv Sena bastions of Dadar and Mahim in the Mumbai civic polls and state assembly polls, respectively.
In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, it contested 12 seats and drew more than 1 lakh votes, but, more importantly, played a significant role in damaging the Shiv Sena’s prospects in many seats. In the assembly elections that year, the party got 13 MLAs while playing spoiler for the Shiv Sena in a number of seats.
But after that initial success, the party floundered, reduced to only one assembly seat in 2014.
Resistance within Congress
The Congress and its ally, the National Congress Party, are vehemently against an alliance with the MNS in Maharashtra.
The Congress, with its secular agenda, may find it difficult to accommodate the polarising party within its ranks and make it appealing for its voters. The optics of the meeting, considering Thackeray’s Marathi-centric approach, also hints at the Congress’ turn to hard-line politics, in a state where it continues to lose ground.
“This is a clear sign that the Congress is trying to consolidate the Hindu vote,” a senior NCP leader told ThePrint. “It will only end up helping the BJP and Shiv Sena.”
However, Ketkar says contrary to popular opinion, the MNS is actually an inclusive party.
“If you listen to Thackeray’s speeches carefully, you’ll realise he’s not anti-Mulsim or anti-caste,” Ketkar said. “The MNS is centred on Marathi identity, not Marathi-chauvinistic.”
Congress and MNS workers have been at odds with each other ever since the party was formed, the most recent clash being over the issue of hawkers’ eviction less than two years ago.
“The MNS brings nothing to the table for us,” a senior Mumbai Congress leader, who did not wish to be named, told ThePrint. “The Marathi vote they have will not be converted to one for Congress-NCP.”
The leader added that the MNS had explicitly mentioned that the Thackeray-Gandhi meeting was about EVMs, adding it in no way implied that it was open to such an alliance.
However, political analyst Pratap Asbe disagreed that the MNS would not aid the Congress’ poll prospects.
“In areas like Mumbai, the MNS can help bolster the weak Congress-NCP cadres,” Asbe said. “It will definitely make a difference to a certain extent, it will be a show of collective strength to fight a joint election.”
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