bjp: BJP woos Raj Thackeray to counter challenge from opposition alliance

According to sources, the BJP has proposed to the MNS that Amit Thackeray, son of Raj Thackeray, contest the Lok Sabha elections from Mumbai South against Arvind Sawant of the UBT Sena. However, the MNS wants its leader Bala Nandgaonkar to contest this seat.

The MNS president’s meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday came after ‘reports from the ground’ that there is likely to be a tight contest in 47 of the 48 Lok sabha seats in Maharashtra.

The MNS is keen to contest 18 Lok Sabha seats and according to sources, the BJP feels that the move could be detrimental to it in the parliamentary polls, which is why the BJP is keen to have the MNS join its coalition.

Although the number of Uddhav Thackeray led by Shiv Sena and NCP – Sharad Chandra Pawar has been depleted due to the split and both parties have lost their name and party symbol, many internal BJP surveys have pointed out that there is a difficult that state tournament. because of the Congress-UBT Sena-NCP-Sharad Pawar alliance. That is where the MNS can potentially help as it has pockets of influence in the Mumbai Metropolitan region as well as the Nashik region.

A month ago, MNS leaders said Raj Thackeray held a meeting of his top leaders where he revealed that there were “feelers” on what it would take for the MNS to join the alliance led by of the BJP. “It was not an offer but it was kind of a feeler, we believe that if the Mumbai South seat and or Nashik seat is given to us, then it would be good,” said one MNS leader who was present in the meeting.According to him, Raj Thackeray took the views of his party leaders on the future course of action if there was a “solid offer”, adding that some leaders said the party should fight alone while the others are keen to join an alliance with the BJP. , Nandgaonkar, while talking to the media after meeting Raj Thackeray, said the talks were “satisfactory” and the party would take a call in two to four days.