Diwali this year is probably going to be a chance to patch up the strained political ties in Maharashtra. Raj Thackeray, the leader of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), together with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis opened the Deep Utsav celebration that his party had planned at Shivaji Park in Dadar.
This happened the day after Shinde and Deputy Fadnavis were on stage together for the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) elections alongside Sharad Pawar, the leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Raj Thackeray has met with the chief minister and his deputy twice in the past month, indicating the possibility of forming a strategic partnership in front of the 2019 elections for the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
For Ganeshotsav a month earlier, Raj Thackeray and his family also went to Shinde’s official property, Varsha, while Fadnavis was seen at Raj Thackeray’s Dadar residence, Shivtirth. It was observed that Sharmila, the wife of Raj Thackeray, gave Fadnavis a customary Maharashtrian welcome.
It’s interesting to note that the BJP withdrew its candidate from the Andheri by-election on November 3 following Raj Thackeray’s letter to Fadnavis. Additionally, Raj Thackeray was visited by BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule and BJP Mumbai president Ashish Sheler to inquire about his health following recent hip surgery.
It is believed that the BJP, Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena, and MNS will compete against Maha Vikas Aghadi, which consists of Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress in the upcoming civic and local body elections. This speculation is fueled by the growing closeness between the leaders of the MNS and the BJP as well as Eknath Shinde, who recently parted ways with Uddhav Thackeray
Indirectly criticizing Uddhav Thackeray during a recent function, CM Eknath Shinde said, “We intended to come here (at Shivaji park) jointly for the last ten years but couldn’t do it, for some reasons.”
Additionally, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, the state president of the BJP, stated that there is no prohibition on political representatives from different parties congregating together during festive holidays. He went on to say that those who find politics in it are sad not to be a part of this positive heritage in Maharashtra.
News Mania Desk
