Raj Thackeray’s Meeting with Amit Shah Sparks Speculations of MNS Joining NDA

Speculations surrounding the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) joining the ruling BJP-led NDA alliance have intensified following MNS chief Raj Thackeray‘s arrival in Delhi.

Thackeray, along with his son Amit Thackeray, landed in Delhi on Monday night and is said to have met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his visit.

Recent days have been marked by rumors indicating that Thackeray’s MNS could be aligning with the BJP-Shiv Sena–NCP Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra amid the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking to reporters, Thackeray expressed uncertainty about his Delhi schedule and said, “I was just told to come to Delhi, let’s see.”

NCP-SCP leader Supriya Sule commented on Thackeray’s visit to Delhi, emphasizing the need for states to work collaboratively within the constitutional framework to address pertinent issues like corruption, unemployment, and inflation.

As BJP holds core committee meetings across eight states to strategize for the upcoming elections, reports suggest that the party is eyeing the MNS’s influence to attract Marathi-speaking voters in key cities of Maharashtra.

During a press interaction, Maharashtra’s Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis refrained from confirming the MNS’s potential inclusion in the Mahayuti alliance, stating that any official decision would be communicated in due course.

Given the emergence of speculations, Union minister Ramdas Athawale earlier opposed Raj Thackeray’s partnership with the NDA, suggesting that the MNS could flourish on its own rather than joining the alliance.