The Congress has mocked Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray for his decision to back the NDA in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, stating that the "tiger has turned into a lamb".
Ending days of speculations, the MNS on Tuesday evening offered its unconditional support to the ruling 'Mahayuti' alliance of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP. "This support is only for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA alliance. Now everyone should prepare for the elections," he said at his party's Gudi Padwa rally.
Thackeray added that he always had close relations with the BJP and its leaders. "Shiv Sena had formed an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party around 1990. After that my closeness increased with BJP, I had good relations with Gopinath Munde and Pramod Mahajan," said the MNS leader, who also hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I was the first person in the country who said that Narendra Modi should be the Prime Minister of the country," he said.
There were rumours that the MNS would side with the NDA after Raj Thackeray met Home Minister Amit Shah last month. It is said the BJP leaders believe Raj Thackeray can help eat into the Maratha votes which might go for Uddhav Thackeray. Notably, the MNS has not fielded any candidate for the Lok Sabha elections yet.
To this, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Tuesday said MNS chief Raj Thackeray's support to the ruling BJP-led alliance in Maharashtra will not affect the opposition coalition MVA's election prospects. "When Raj Thackeray visited Delhi, it was evident that he would go with the BJP. But we did not expect that a tiger would turn into a lamb so soon. Will a fighter like Raj Thackeray become a slave?" Wadettiwar reacted.
Wadettiwar added that Raj Thackeray had taken a firm stand against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019 but now has extended support to the PM. "Something is fishy here," he added.
Raj Thackeray, a 55-year-old firebrand leader known for his oratory skills, had openly backed the NDA in 2014 but later switched to the Opposition. He went on to criticise the ruling BJP government and even played videos of promises made by Modi at his well-attended rallies, pointing out how they remained unfulfilled.
However, Raj has always been at loggerheads with his estranged cousin Uddhav Thackeray. Even when he backed the BJP in 2014, he fielded candidates against the undivided Shiv Sena.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday thanked MNS president Raj Thackeray for his support. Asked whether Mahayuti will give Lok Sabha seats to the MNS to contest, Shinde said the Raj Thackeray-led outfit has not put any conditions for supporting the three-party alliance. "The MNS leader has extended support to the leadership of PM Modi and his agenda of development," said the CM.
