In a big development, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday announced to extend "unconditional" support to Prime Minister Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Thackeray said he decided to support the Mahayuti (Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party) due to PM Modi.
What did Raj Thackeray say?
Speaking at his party's Gudi Padwa rally here, he also declared support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said the upcoming Lok Sabha elections would decide the "future of the country. Notably, the MNS has not fielded any candidate for the Lok Sabha elections yet.
"I will tell the party workers to now start preparing for the Assembly elections. I told CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavais that I neither want the Rajya Sabha seat nor the Legislative Council seat. My only request to PM Modi is to pay attention to the youth, today India has the largest number of youth in the world," Thackeray added.
Raj Thackeray on seat sharing
The MNS chief further said that the upcoming election holds immense significance for the nation's future. "Let us not allow political opportunism to thrive in Maharashtra," Thackeray said. Regarding seat sharing, he mentioned that the last discussion on this matter was held in 1995. "I don't like the bargaining thing, you take four, give me four, I don't do all this," he asserted.
He said the election symbol, which is a railway engine, has been obtained through the hard work of party workers and there will be no compromise on it. "There will be no compromise on the party symbol in the upcoming elections. I conveyed this stance while discussing with Amit Shah, emphasizing the importance of the election symbol.
Devendra Fadnavis hails Thackeray's support
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has expressed gratitude towards the MNS chief for expressing unconditional support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the three parties of Mahayuti. "I am very grateful to MNS Chief Shri Raj Thackeray ji for supporting the grand alliance of BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP. Let us all be determined with full strength to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the people! (sic),"Fadnavis wrote on X.
ALSO READ: Lok Sabha elections 2024: Raj Thackeray meets Amit Shah in Delhi over seat-sharing in Maharashtra
