With 20 days left for the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the prediction game has begun. And, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray has shared his two cents on who will be the next chief minister of the state.
Thackeray, who decided to fight the elections independently, predicted that the next chief minister would be from the Mahayuti and that the chief minister would be none other than BJP's Devendra Fadnavis. He made the statement during an interview with a local channel.
However, Thackeray's remarks ruffled some feathers within the grand coalition so much that Fadnavis himself had to clear the air. During an event organised to welcome Congress leader Ravi Raja's entry into the BJP, Fadnavis thanked Thackeray but refused to acknowledge the statement. "I am thankful to Raj Thackeray. I humbly accept his praises and predictions but it is not the BJP government that will come to power in Maharashtra, but a grand alliance government. The chief minister will also be from Mahayuti," Fadnavis added.
Fadnavis, however, didn't hide the party's ties with MNS, stating that since Thackeray was openly supporting the BJP. "Raj Thackeray has now adopted a broader Hindutva stance. We have always welcomed the regional roles of other parties. It is necessary to accept national identity along with regional identity. National identity means Hindutva and this has been accepted by Raj Thackeray," he said.
Meanwhile, Thackeray's remarks have not gone well with Shiv Sena (UBT) who said he was praising the BJP as he is worried about his son Amit Thackeray's future.
"His (Raj’s) son is contesting the polls, so you can understand his mental state. Earlier, Raj's stance was that he wouldn't allow PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to come to Maharashtra, stating they had no place in the state. Now, he is all praise for them. He fears about his son's political future," said Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut, adding that the next Chief Minister will be from Maha Vikas Aghadi.
Raj Thackeray had also predicted that his party would come to power in 2029. His son, Amit Thackeray, is contesting from Mahim.
Though the Mahayuti has announced a candidate in Mahim, Fadnavis told reporters that they were still negotiating on whether or not to support MNS in Mahim. "Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Raj Thackeray, and our President Ashish Shelar of Mumbai are discussing. We are discussing a way wherein we all can coexist," Fadnavis said.
