Congress-NCP combine ropes in MNS chief Raj Thackeray as star campaigner

The Congress-NCP alliance has roped him to campaign extensively in Mumbai and also address rallies in other parts of the state.

The MNS also does not have any representation in the state Assembly and it has just one corporator in BMC.

The Congress-NCP alliance wants to use Mr Thackeray to cut into Shiv Sena votes.

Mr Thackeray is scheduled to address rallies in South Mumbai for the Congress candidate Milind Deora; in north-central Mumbai, for Priya Dutt; in north Mumbai for Urmila Matondkar and for Sanjay Dina Patil in north-east Mumbai, sources in the Congress, NCP confirmed this to media.

In other parts of Maharashtra, Thackeray will hold rallies in Maval, where NCP leader Ajit Pawar’s son Parth is a candidate; in Nanded, where state Congress chief Ashok Chavan is contesting; Solapur, where former chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde is contesting; Baramati, where NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s daughter is contesting; and in Nashik, where senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal’s nephew Sameer is a candidate, sources said.

The sources further states that an arrangement has been worked out between Thackeray and Sharad Pawar in which it was decided that the rallies which he will address will be exclusive MNS rallies, which simply means that the stage during these meetings will have only MNS flags, but Congress-NCP candidates can join him on stage.

The MNS, which is losing its face in Maharashtra, with this opportunity can come out of oblivion and set the stage for making a comeback in the assembly elections. 

Image: UNI