Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray, who offered his unconditional support to the state’s ruling Mahayuti alliance and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the April-June Lok Sabha elections, has announced that he will contest 225 to 250 seats in the assembly polls expected around November.
Speaking with party workers in Mumbai on Friday, Thackeray asked them to start preparations for the polls. “I want to see my MLAs sitting in the government, so start the preparations for the state assembly polls. Our teams will be conducting surveys in all constituencies, and we are aiming to fight 225 to 250 seats in the assembly polls,” he said.
In the 2019 general elections, Raj Thackeray stood against the Bharatiya Janata Party and PM Modi, campaigning about how the then BJP government had not done anything for the people. Later, during the state assembly polls the same year, he was seen speaking in favour of the BJP and the Prime Minister.
In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the MNS didn’t get a single seat in the Mahayuti but gave unconditional support to the alliance. Thackeray and other MNS leaders campaigned for Mahayuti candidates at various places in the state. Now, Raj Thackeray’s comment about contesting 225-250 seats out of the total 288 has raised eyebrows. It has also raised a question: will Raj Thackeray go solo in the polls?
When News18 spoke to MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande, he said, “As of now, we are doing our preparations for the upcoming state polls. Mahayuti partners are yet to decide their formula for seat-sharing. When they call us for the seat-sharing meeting, we will see how and which seats we should demand. If they don’t call us, then we have our study done of all seats in Maharashtra.”
Starting on the first of August, Raj Thackeray will begin his Maharashtra tour. He will not only meet party workers and leaders but also prominent citizens to know what they expect from the party and what their demands are. Raj Thackeray is likely to start his Maharashtra tour from the Marathwada district. The MNS, which had netted only one seat in 2014 and 2019, is confident of a better performance this time.
“We will be reaching out to the people and will take up their issues, which are real issues, such as unemployment, skill education, and farmers’ issues. We will not indulge in dirty and abusive politics like other parties. People have got fed up with these parties, and now they want a new option. MNS will give them that option in the upcoming assembly elections,” said Deshpande.
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