Lok Sabha: Raj Thackeray reaches Delhi as mills buzz again of a MNS-BJP alliance 

MNS chief Raj Thackeray meets BJP top brass in Delhi amid speculation of pre-poll alliance.

With speculation rife of his party forging a pre-poll alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray late Monday reached Delhi, where he is expected to meet with the BJP top brass, said sources.  

As per sources, Mr. Thackeray, along with his son, MNS leader Amit Thackeray, left for Delhi today – his second visit to the capital in a week. Mr. Thackeray, the estranged cousin of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, is expected to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The BJP, too, is having a meeting of its core committee to iron out thorny seat-sharing disputes, with Maharashtra BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis present on the occasion.

The MNS’ potential alliance with the BJP has long been on the cards despite Raj Thackeray remaining noncommittal over the issue in his public rallies.

Despite the MNS not having a single MLA or MP across Maharashtra, the BJP hopes to make use of Mr. Thackeray’s still extant Marathi-speaking vote-bases in the Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Nashik civic bodies. 

The MNS had notched up impressive performances in the 2012 polls to the Pune and Nashik civic bodies at a time when Mr. Raj Thackeray was considered a potent force in Maharashtra’s politics.

Since then, internal bickering and haphazard campaigning have caused the party to implode.