Maharashtra polls: Ahead of Maharashtra Assembly Elections, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Wednesday predicted that the next state Chief Minister of the state will be from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He also announced that his party would be part of the BJP-led government.
Speaking to a private channel, Thackeray said, "I feel that the next Chief Minister of the state will be from the Bharatiya Janata Party and we will stay together."
Raj Thackeray's statement came shortly after Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that his party would fully support his son, Amit Thackeray, for the Mahim seat in Mumbai.
For those unaware, Raj Thackeray's MNS is not part of the Mahayuti alliance, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena-led by CM Eknath Shinde, and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's NCP. However, MNS supported the ruling alliance in the Lok Sabha elections held earlier this year.
Fadnavis shares photo with Raj Thackeray
Following this, Fadnavis shared a photo on Instagram with Raj Thackeray, walking side by side. The post quickly stirred up social media.
BJP still firm on backing MNS chief’s son: Fadnavis
Earlier in the day, Fadnavis said that BJP still wants to throw its weight behind MNS head Raj Thackeray's son Amit Thackeray in the Mahim assembly seat, which the ruling Shiv Sena is also contesting. Efforts will be made to find a solution to this, Fadnavis told reporters here.
Fadnavis said the BJP and CM Eknath Shinde had a consensus on supporting MNS candidate Amit Thackeray, who is making his electoral debut, in the Mahim assembly constituency. "The Chief Minister also wished that we should not field any candidate against (Amit Thackeray) but there were certain difficulties as many leaders believed that if they did not field the candidate then the votes could go to Shiv Sena (UBT). So, we fielded Sada Sarvankar. BJP's stand is clear that we should support Amit Thackeray," he said.
The senior BJP leader also said his party would try to convince most of its rebels to withdraw their nominations, but added that there will be friendly fights in some seats in the November 20 state polls.
The Shiv Sena, led by CM Eknath Shinde, has fielded sitting MLA Sada Sarvankar from Mahim, while Mahesh Sawant is the candidate of the Shiv Sena (UBT) headed by former CM Uddhav Thackeray from the seat in Mumbai.
Mahim has witnessed the birth of the undivided Shiv Sena (1966) and then the MNS, which came into existence in 2006 when Raj Thackeray charted his own independent political course.
Elections to the 288-member state assembly will be held on November 20 and votes will be counted on November 23.
