Big Setback to Shiv Sena: Uddhav's Aurangabad leaders join Raj Thackeray's MNS

In a huge setback to the Shiv Sena, its Aurangabad leader Suhas Dashrathe has joined Raj Thackeray led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Saturday. Two other leaders - Prakash Mahajan, Harshvardhan Jadhav has also joined the party. This comes amid MNS growing closeness with the BJP and its dare to Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. 

While Suhas Dashrathe was in Shiv Sena for 38 years, Harshvardhan Jadhav is a former MLA and Prakash Mahajan is brother of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan. Dashrathe was considered close to former Sena MP Chandrakant Khaire. The leaders jumped the ships ahead of Aurangabad Municipal Corporation election (due in April 2020). Notably, Sena has been ruling in the Corporation for many years.

Meanwhile, sources told Republic TV on Friday that Uddhav Thackeray has called an urgent party meeting on February 9. Incidentally, his cousin and MNS chief Raj Thackeray are scheduled to lead a massive protest rally on the same day demanding the ouster of Pakistani and Bangladeshi infiltrators. Earlier in a shocking dare to Uddhav, MNS had put up posters right outside his residence- Matoshree, challenging him to fulfill his commitment that he made in a recent interview.

Read: 'No Such Compulsion': Maha CM Uddhav On Not Paying Visit To PM Modi, Sonia Gandhi In Delhi

MNS veers towards Hindutva

Raj Thackeray made his party's tilt towards Hindutva official at the MNS convention on January 23, the birth anniversary of Balasaheb Thackeray. He commenced his speech by saying- “My Hindu brothers and sisters”. Raj Thackeray also explained that the newly adopted saffron flag was his original choice at the time of forming the MNS.

Taking the fight right to the Maharashtra CM's doorstep on Friday, MNS put up posters right outside his Matoshree residence. They challenged him to fulfill his commitment that he made in a recent interview. The posters contain the following message- ‘Honourable Chief Minister, if your stance is that Pakistani and Bangladeshi infiltrators must be thrown out of the country, then first clear the neighbourhoods in your Bandra backyard that are brimming with infiltrators’. 

Read: Sharad Pawar's Comment Won't Sway Bhima-Koregaon Probe: CM Uddhav Not Kowtowing To Allies