A day after speaking a couple of attainable patch-up between the warring cousins, MNS chief Sandeep Deshpande stated that coming collectively didn’t at all times suggest an electoral alliance.
Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray stated they have been prepared to come back collectively within the curiosity of Maharashtra and Marathi individuals.(Hindustan Occasions)
“Coming together for Maharashtra does not mean it is only for elections. Marathis can also come together for issues of interest to Maharashtra. Just like Tamil parties had come together on the Cauvery issue in Tamil Nadu, what is the problem with Marathi parties coming together? Alliance for elections is a narrow-minded idea,” Deshpande posted on X.
The genesis of the alliance thought was on Saturday when MNS chief Raj Thackeray and the Shiv Sena (UBT) stated in separate statements that they have been prepared to come back collectively within the curiosity of Maharashtra and Marathi individuals by placing apart their variations. The statements got here after the state authorities determination to make Hindi obligatory in faculties.
In response to a query in a podcast with filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar, which was launched on Saturday, Raj stated, “For me, everything else is secondary to the interest of Maharashtra. For that, I can set aside minor disputes and I am ready to work with Uddhav. The only question is if he too is ready.”
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In response, Uddhav Thackeray stated, “I, too, am ready to set aside minor disputes for the Marathi language and Maharashtra. I am ready to work together but he (Raj) should not host anti-Maharashtra people and parties any more, and take an oath in front of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.”
The situation didn’t go down properly with the MNS. “Who was given the Shiv Sena (UBT) the right to issue certificates on who is pro-Maharashtra and anti-Maharashtra?” requested Deshpande on Sunday. “Will Uddhav Thackeray apologise for filing 17,000 cases against MNS workers for agitating against illegal loudspeakers on mosques? Does he realise that was a mistake?”
Deshpande stated the AIADMK and DMK had come collectively towards the imposition of Hindi. “Will the Sena (UBT) also join us in an agitation on the same issue?” he questioned.
Whereas Deshpande took a dig at Uddhav for his “pre-conditions”, Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, stated that the social gathering was “wholeheartedly ready” for a attainable coalition. “Thackeray only said that the BJP does not fit into the idea of Maharashtra’s interest, which is not a condition but public sentiment,” he stated. “After Raj Thackeray’s statement, Uddhavji responded and there were no conditions imposed. Two brothers are coming together for the good of Maharashtra.”
Raut clarified that the Sena (UBT) had solely stated that the MNS mustn’t dine with anybody who was towards Maharashtra. “There is nothing wrong with it. It is not a condition but the sentiment of the people,” he stated. He additionally emphasised that allegations and counter-allegations might injury the potential for an alliance between the Thackeray cousins.
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In the meantime, the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde is clearly not proud of the event. Just a few days after Raj had dinner with Shinde at his Dadar residence, the Shiv Sena’s nationwide spokesperson Sanjay Nirupam launched a scathing assault on the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT), saying they have been each utilizing Maharashtra’s title for private and political features. “The people of Maharashtra have decisively rejected both the Sena (UBT) and the MNS,” he stated. “These parties pretend to stand for Maharashtra, but in reality, they are only chasing power and self-interest. Politically, they are irrelevant.”
Taking a swipe at each events, Nirupam remarked, “The MNS couldn’t win a single seat in the last assembly elections. Politically, both UBT and MNS are bankrupt. And when you add zero to zero, the result is still zero. Even in business, two loss-making entities don’t make a profitable one.”
The Shinde Sena politician claimed that Uddhav was “desperate”. “Uddhav Thackeray sacrificed the principles of Hindutva to serve his personal ambition, family interests and hunger for power by aligning with the Congress,” he stated. “This betrayal has cost him the support of the people, and now he is turning to Raj out of desperation.”