Mumbai, Aug 22 Almost three months after a hip surgery, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray has bounced back into political action ahead of the upcoming civic elections.
Raj Thackeray confabulated with his senior party leaders on Monday and will meet MNS officer-bearers in the state, with a possibility of a media interaction here on Tuesday.
The estranged cousin of ex-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is holding a series of consultations to chart out strategy not only for the civic elections but also the 2024 Assembly and parliament elections.
"There are many issues facing Maharashtra... There's a change of government (the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi) and now a new governmenta (of CM Eknath Shinde and Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis, and the upcoming polls," remarked senior MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar.
According to Nandgaonkar, these and other issues like the Supreme Court cases, the tussle in the Shiv Sena with the rebels on the claim to the party, etc. are figuring in Raj Thackeray's meetings with his team as the MNS hopes to drive into the political mainstream with support from the BJP.
In early June, the MNS chief had undergone a hip replacement procedure after which he was convalescing at home, and only meeting select party leaders or outsiders.
However, at times he communicated his thoughts through the social media, like his strong statements on the Gujarati-Marwari row kick-started by the Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and ended after he (Governor) tendered an apology.
He also hosted certain persons like Fadnavis or even veteran playback singer Asha Bhosale and some other personalities on some occasions at his home with their pix posted on social media.
In April-May this year, the MNS had suddenly created a big bang on the political landscape when Raj Thackeray raised the issue of demanding ban on loudspeakers in mosques, the Hanuman Chalisa row, endorsing the Uniform Civil Code, etc, with full backing from BJP, though the two parties have yet to officially announce an alliance for any upcoming elections.
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