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‘A marketplace of slaves’: Raj Thackeray on Maharashtra politics amid mayor poll suspense
Raj Thackeray also read out his X post, saying sometimes one has to be flexible in politics.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Friday remarked that the politics in the state had become a “marketplace of slaves” amid the tussle for various posts after the recent civic body polls.
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Addressing a program to mark the beginning of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray's birth centenary, Raj also read out his X post, saying sometimes one has to be flexible in politics
"Politics in Maharashtra has become a marketplace of slaves. What happened in Kalyan-Dombivli was disgusting. Where is it going?" Raj said.
Raj Thackeray added at the Shiv Sena (UBT) program at Shanmukhanand auditorium in Mumbai that he has already spoken to Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut about the Kalyan-Dombivali situation. He also spoke about him quitting the Sena to form his own party.
"It was 20 years ago. I learnt several things. I think Uddhav learned, too. Let's leave that all behind," he said.
After being estranged for 2 decades, the Thackerays recently reunited to contest the BMC elections together. Although they didn’t win the election, their alliance received overwhelming support in the Marathi-speaking heart of the city. Together, the parties won 71 seats, but the MNS bagged just six.
The Kalyan Dombivali conundrum
Now the MNS has backed Uddhav’s bete noire Eknath Shinde’s Sena in the KDMC, where it’s all-out war. Here, the Sena is pulling out all the stops to get past the halfway mark of 62 and keep its alliance partner, the BJP, out of the fray. If he succeeds, he would have emerged victorious on the home turf of BJP state president Ravindra Chavan.
MNS local leader Raju Patil was seen discussing his party’s support with Sena MP Shrikant Shinde before the announcement. The MNS claims the decision to support the Sena was taken by the local unit in Kalyan.
Uddhav was said to be very upset with the MNS move, and speculation that Raj Thackeray might skip the Shiv Sena (UBT) function on Friday was rife. But the MNS chief turned up at the Shanmukhanand auditorium in Mumbai at the function organised by Uddhav’s party to mark the start of the birth centenary of his father and Raj's uncle Bal Thackeray.
