Congress, NCPSP Accused BJP of Betraying North Indians After MNS Alliance Reports

Mumbai: The opposition parties in Maharashtra attacked the BJP after the reports of its possible alliance with the MNS (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena) emerged. Congress and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) asked the BJP how it would seek votes from the north Indian community.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Monday flew to New Delhi. Raj on Tuesday met senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah along with his son Amit Thackeray.

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) National Spokesperson Clyde Crasto said that the MNS-BJP alliance would disappoint the north Indians who have been attacked by the Raj Thackera’s party in the past. “By meeting the top BJP leaders in New Delhi, Raj Thackeray is only trying to save his party and save himself also. Because in the past, there has been an inquiry on him. Some agencies have questioned him. So maybe those questions have cropped up again. If you see his party has dwindled in the state of Mumbai. So I think he must be trying to salvage whatever is left behind by his party and also trying to safeguard himself,” Mr. Crasto said.

The NCP spokesperson was referring to the Enforcement Directorate questioning the MNS chief in 2019 in connection with the suspected Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS) money laundering case.

Maharashtra Congress chief spokesperson Atul Londhe said that by forging an alliance with the MNS, the BJP has broken the trust of North Indian voters and hurt their pride by rubbing salt on their wounds. “With which face will the BJP seek the votes of North Indian voters by aligning with a leader like Raj Thackeray, who has been associated with attacks on North Indians,” he said.

The Congress spokesperson alleged that to cross the 400 mark in the elections, the BJP has been forced to compromise with anyone who comes to them. “Post this alliance, the BJP does not have the right to ask for votes of the North Indians. The fact that the BJP has to forge an alliance with Raj means that they are staring at defeat,” Mr. Londhe said.

Though Raj Thackeray’s influence has diminished significantly in the last 10 years, he can still influence results in 10 Lok Sabha seats including six Mumbai seats. The MNS did not contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

However, in Maharashtra assembly elections held in the same year, the MNS secured more than 10 per cent votes in 30 assembly constituencies. It won a single seat, was runner-up in nine seats and second runner-up in 18 seats. Interestingly, all the 30 assembly segments are part of 10 Lok Sabha seats - Nashik, Pune, Kalyan, Thane and six Mumbai seats.