“Vote to make a strong and formidable opposition” urges MNS chief Raj Thackeray in maiden rally

In current elections, the Maharashtra competition for the 288 seats is tough with several groups and regional parties in the fray

Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray on Thursday appealed to the people to make his party “a strong and formidable Opposition” in the Maharashtra legislature after the October 21 Assembly elections.

Thackeray was addressing a public rally in Bandra late Thursday evening. the MNS chief candidly conceded that his party did not have sufficient strength to dream of “forming the government”, so would remain in the Opposition benches.

“For this, I urge you to support and elect all my candidates, to help us become a powerful opposition party. All my boys have a burning fire in their bellies to do something for you, they will question the government on its assurances and demand answers… The ruling party legislators always keep silent,” Thackeray said in his brief but pointedly effective speech lasting around 15 minutes.

Thackeray reiterated that a strong Opposition is necessary for nurturing democracy and it is only the opposition legislators “who will speak up for the masses and help deliver justice” to the people of Maharashtra.

त्यात मला ईडीची नोटीस आली, त्यावेळेस चौकशी झाल्यावर मी बोललो होतो की 'ईडीची चौकशी लावा काही करा माझं थोबाड बंद होणार नाही"#RajThackerayLive

— MNS Adhikrut (@mnsadhikrut) October 10, 2019

The MNS chief said that during every election, the government makes promises and assurances, but then nothing happens after the elections.

“What about the promised jobs for the youth, farmers are crying, businesses are suffering. Who will question the government on all this? It is only a strong Opposition which will work in the public interest, highlight your issues to the rulers,” said Thackeray.

The MNS chief said that over more than one week he would be addressing over a dozen rallies across different districts in Maharashtra on the same theme, seeking peoples’ support to be elected as “a strong opposition party”.

ईव्हीएम आणि व्हीव्हीपॅट संबधी देशात मी सोनिया गांधीनापासून ते ममता बॅनर्जी ते शरद पवारांना देखील भेटलो. मी सुचवलं होतं की ह्या मुद्द्यावर आपण निवडणुकांवर बहिष्कार घालावा, हा मुद्दा मी राज्यातील नेत्यांना पण सांगितला, त्यासाठी पत्रकार परिषद घेतली #RajThackerayLive

— MNS Adhikrut (@mnsadhikrut) October 10, 2019

Yesterday was MNS’s first rally for the elections in which it is independently contesting 102 seats mostly the strongholds like Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik, and surroundings.

On Wednesday party’s inaugural rally scheduled in Pune, October 9 had to be canceled following torrential rains and a power breakdown.

Earlier in Lok Sabha 2019 polls campaign, Thackeray had created huge waves with his trademark rallies and the ‘Laav Re Video’ though it did not contest.

In current elections, the Maharashtra competition for the 288 seats is tough with several groups and parties in the fray.

MNS has certainly accepted that in this election battle will be not so easy and Maharashtra is favoring national parties rather than regional parties. Many regional parties are facing a crisis.

Apart from the MNS, there is the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena’s ‘Maha-Yuti’, opposition Congress-Nationalist Congress Party’s ‘Maha-Aghadi’, Prakash Ambedkar’s Bahujan Vanchit Aghadi, the Aam Aadmi Party, the Vidarbha Sangharsh Samiti and other forces vying for the electorate’s attention in the state.