As the elections to the BMC approach the political temperature in Mumbai has started to steam. Gudi Padwa or the New Year in Maharashtra saw a new political move by Raj Thakrey. He demanded removal of loud speakers from mosques. He also warned that if that did not happen he would play Hanuman Chalisa in front of mosques. Soon after this political drama Union minister Nitin Gadkari met him. The meeting though was termed as personal. But both BJP and Raj Thakrey are now eyeing the upcoming elections for the BMC.
The BMC is the richest municipal corporation in India. For the financial year 2022-2023 alone BMCs annual budget is approximately Rs.45500 crores. For the last 25 years the BMC has been Shiv Sena’s stronghold. During the last BMC elections in 2017 Shiv Sena had got 84 seats. But this time it has new allies in Congress and Sharad Pawar. So the BJP which had an alliance with the Shiv Sena during all these years now wants to stake its claim on the BMC too.
Raj Thakrey’s career is at rock bottom. He has little options now. His party the MNS has very little acceptance with the public in Maharashtra. Even in the BMC he had very little representation. Raj Thakrey could not be declared as the successor to Bala Saheb Thakrey. He wanted to prove that he was a better political option than his brother Udhav. But Udhav’s rise to become the chief minister of Maharashtra has proved him wrong.
Raj Thakrey was targeting BJP and its leaders during the last Vidhan Sabha elections but failed in the campaign desperately and won only one seat in the polls held in 2019. His ally the NCP too is now supporting the Shiv Sena. So his only option was to change his stance. The only option that seems suitable for him appears to be to make an alliance with the BJP.
The BJP too who have lost their alliance partner the Shiv Sena need him. The major difference in the Mumbai polls and the rest of the country appears to be the Maratha Non Maratha stance that goes with the Sena. The only chance of getting into the BMC for BJP is of dissolving the Maratha Non Maratha stance to Hindu Muslim narrative.
Alliance with Raj Thackeray is also important for the BJP because of his strong network in Mumbai. The MNS has its reach at booth level. Which the BJP cannot build overnight.Though nothing officially has been declared by both the parties, an alliance would be symbiotic for both.