Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray is expected to join forces with the BJP-Shiv Sena (led by Eknath Shinde) alliance in Maharashtra ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Thackeray arrived in Delhi on Monday night, where he joined Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and state BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule. Upon his arrival in Delhi, Thackeray stated, “I don’t know what my schedule is yet. I was just told to come to Delhi”. He is reportedly seeking two seats, South Mumbai and Shirdi, for his party.
Raj Thackeray, the estranged cousin of former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, is the nephew of Bal Thackeray, the late founder of Shiv Sena, who is currently leading the opposition faction in Maharashtra.
On Tuesday, MNS chief met with BJP national Secretary Vinod Tawade to discuss the allocation of two Lok Sabha seats in the upcoming elections. Sources indicate that Thackeray was accompanied by Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadanavis during the meeting.
The split in the Shiv Sena occurred after a rebellion led by Eknath Shinde in 2022, following which he assumed the role of Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar had ruled in January that the faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was the “real Shiv Sena”. Currently, the ruling alliance in Maharashtra currently comprises the BJP, NCP, and the faction led by Eknath Shinde.
