Maharashtra: How big a blow is Prakash Mahajan’s exit from MNS for Raj Thackeray?
Prakash Mahajan, considered a close confidant and staunch supporter of Raj Thackeray, had been unhappy with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for the past few days. This led him to resign from the party a few days ago. Following this, there was much speculation in political circles about Mahajan's next move. Finally, he decided to join Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction.
On Wednesday December 25, Prakash Mahajan met with Eknath Shinde and expressed his desire to join the Shiv Sena, and on Thursday, he formally joined the party, adopting its "bow and arrow" symbol. His entry into the Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena just before the elections has created a stir in political circles. This joining process was completed without any major ceremony or fanfare. Now it remains to be seen what impact this political development will have on the upcoming elections.
Mahajan could be given an important position in Shiv Sena Shinde faction
Prakash Mahajan is considered among the senior leaders of the MNS and has extensive political experience. Therefore, there is much speculation that he might be given an important position in the Shiv Sena Shinde faction. Just as the Bharatiya Janata Party has strengthened its hold at the organizational level, the Shiv Sena Shinde faction also appears to be trying to increase its political influence.
According to information from political circles, the Shiv Sena Thackeray faction and the MNS officially announced their alliance on Wednesday. Following this, the MNS suffered two major setbacks in just two days. Two senior leaders of the party joined the Shiv Sena Shinde faction. Discussions about an alliance between the Thackeray faction and the MNS regarding the upcoming municipal elections had been ongoing for several days, but the official announcement was made only on Wednesday.
Major political blow to the MNS
However, despite the alliance announcement, no agreement has yet been reached between the two parties regarding seat sharing. Meanwhile, on the same day the alliance was announced, MNS's Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar district chief, Sumit Khambekar, joined the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction). The very next day, the entry of veteran leader Prakash Mahajan dealt another major political blow to the MNS.
Will contribute to organization building
Prakash Mahajan, brother of the late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, had been associated with Raj Thackeray's MNS since its formation in 2006, but he left the party earlier this year due to differences with the party leadership. Speaking to reporters, Shinde said that Mahajan would be a spokesperson for the Shiv Sena and would contribute to building the organization. Elections for 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra will be held on January 15, and the counting of votes will take place on January 16.
Prakash Kumar Pandey