Highlighting Modi govt’s ‘failings’, Raj Thackeray to hold rallies in north India

Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, April 22

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, whose well-researched video presentations on the alleged failings of the Narendra Modi government has rattled the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in Maharashtra, is all set to do an encore at the national level.

According to sources in the MNS, Thackeray has been invited by candidates of the Congress party to hold rallies in north India, including Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

“Raj saheb will speak in Hindi at his rallies in north India,” a party source said. MNS leaders are still in the process of finalising Thackeray’s itinerary for his rallies up-country.

MNS officials say they are choosing Thackeray’s rallies with care so that he is featured in constituencies where high-profile candidates of the Congress party are in a neck-and-neck race with the BJP.

MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande refused to comment on whether the Congress party has invited Thackeray to address any rally in Amethi.

“His rallies in Maharashtra are extremely popular and the footage is being shared with translations and sub-titles in on social media. Political leaders are now demanding that Thackeray address rallies elsewhere in the country as well,” a party official said.

In Maharashtra itself, Thackeray is planning to hold four or five more rallies as the last phase of polling is on April 29.

On Tuesday, he will hold a rally at Kalachowkie in the South Mumbai constituency where Milind Deora of the Congress faces sitting MP Arvind Sawant of the Shiv Sena.

The following day, he will hold a rally in Bhandup. Urmila Matondkar and Priya Dutt of the Congress have also requested rallies by Thackeray but it is not clear how they will be accommodated, say MNS leaders.

However footage of Thackeray’s rallies is being screened on big screens in many constituencies.

Marathi channels often telecast his rallies live. One rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was even cut in order to accommodate Thackeray’s rally recently.

This would be followed by rallies in Panvel and Nashik, according to itinerary released by the MNS.

Party sources said, Congress candidates such as Urmila Matondkar and Priya Dutt have asked for Thackeray’s rally in their constituencies.