IN THE 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray rooted for Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister. Five years later, Raj led the charge against Modi in a high-pitch digital and physical campaign, expressing disappointment over the “unkept” promises of his government. Come 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the MNS seems ready to bat for Modi again. On Tuesday, Raj met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi along with his son, after which senior MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar said the talks between them on the Lok Sabha polls had been "positive". While Raj, 55, has always been unpredictable in his politics, one constant has been his strident son-of-the-soil or Marathi Manoos plank. Before now, the BJP has been wary of any understanding with him, for fear of alienating its North Indian vote bank in Mumbai and the Hindi heartland. The difference this time seems to be the difficult contest the BJP is facing in Maharashtra – a state where the NDA won 41 of the 48 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The BJP's target for Maharashtra this time is “Mission 45 plus”. Sources said that the BJP is willing to offer Raj the South Mumbai Lok Sabha seat as part of the bargain, though the MNS wants at least one constituency more, Shirdi, to get enough votes to retain its status of a 'state party'. The RSS has reportedly given its consent to the alliance, seeing in the MNS a strong Hindutva face. A BJP politician who has cordial relations with Raj said: "In politics, the only thing constant is change. There are no permanent friends, nor enemies.” In 2019, certainly, the MNS looked like the enemy. While the party, which could never build on the initial promise of Raj inheriting the Bal Thackeray legacy, and has been on a downward spiral, did not even contest the Lok Sabha polls, it ran a campaign titled 'Lav re tau video (Bring on the video)' highlighting the “failures” of the then BJP-led government in the state and at the Centre. A good orator, Raj also held public rallies where he projected the Lok Sabha contest as between "dictatorship (of the Modi government)" and "democracy". He questioned the PM over the Pulwama attacks, killing 40 CRPF personnel in Kashmir, and the “strategic strike” at Balakot in Pakistan in response. Union Home Minister Amit Shah was also singled out for attack in MNS speeches. When Modi returned to victory with a bigger number of seats in 2019, Raj posted that the result was “beyond rationale", and “anakalniya (incomprehensible)”. Sources said that the process of rapprochement between the BJP and MNS began about two years ago, with the BJP keeping channels open with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections, which will be closely followed by Assembly polls. Then there are the long-awaited elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, which has long been a turf of the united Shiv Sena, which once included Raj. Over the past few days, senior BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as well its state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule have visited Raj at his residence. The MNS chief has also been calling on both Fadnavis and CM Eknath Shinde, head of the Shinde Sena faction, over the past year, ostensibly to raise important public issues. On Tuesday, Chhagan Bhujbal, who belongs to the Ajit Pawar NCP which is an ally of the NDA, said the MNS's entry would increase the strength of the ruling alliance. A BJP leader and political strategist said: "An alliance with the MNS may not bring desired electoral dividends, but Raj Thackeray's oratory can create the desired atmosphere, especially to counter the Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray.” While Shinde walked away with most of the party legislative wing in his split from Uddhav, with more MPs and MLAs crossing over later, the Sena (UBT) chief still commands the loyalty of a large section of the Sena cadre as well as the party support base. Apart from denting this, the MNS may help get the BJP Maratha support in select constituencies in Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Pune, Nashik, and Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg. Another leader said: "In politics, the more the merrier. Raj Thackeray may not have a strong organisational network, but he certainly has 10,000 to 1-lakh plus followers in several constituencies. If they add to our votes, why not encash?" An MNS office-bearer said: "Whenever Raj Thackeray takes the stage, people take note of the issues he raises. From Marathi Manoos to 'loudspeaker menace (calling for namaz)' or illegal construction at Mahim Dargah or land encroachment, he has raised pertinent issues." As reports emerged of Tuesday's meeting between Raj and Amit Shah, the Maha Vikas Aghadi camp attacked the BJP. The Congress accused it of "betraying" north Indians, while Uddhav said the BJP was trying to "steal a Thackeray" to win elections. NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) spokesperson Clyde Crasto said the MNS leader has been under the scanner of Central agencies, and suggested he was trying to ally with the BJP to save his party. There is some discomfort within BJP ranks too at the speed and generosity with which it is accepting leaders from other parties. One leader said, "It has become like Bhanumati ka kunba (a grouping of improbables), where everybody is welcome.” The MNS was formed by Raj in 2006 after splitting from the Shiv Sena. After a great start, when it won 13 seats in the 2009 Assembly elections riding on the Marathi Manoos plank, the party had sputtered. In 2014, it won 2 seats in the Assembly polls, and in 2019, just 1. It has never won a Lok Sabha seat, though it is seen to have damaged prospects of BJP and Sena candidates in several constituencies in earlier polls. In the BMC polls, last held in 2017, the MNS won seven corporator seats. Barring one, all its corporators later joined the Uddhav Sena.
