All Eyes on Raj Thackeray’s Gudi Padwa Address as Poll Calculations Take Center Stage

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The annual Gudi Padwa rally of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has traditionally served as a platform for party president Raj Thackeray to rally his cadre and make provocative political statements. However, this year’s event being held in Mumbai today carries added significance amid feverish speculation over the outfit’s plans for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

As Thackeray takes the stage around 7.30 pm at Shivaji Park in Dadar, a sprawling ground that has witnessed many such fiery addresses by the MNS chief, all eyes will be trained on what stance he takes regarding next year’s parliamentary polls. Will he officially declare the party’s intention to contest? Or will he chart a different course, perhaps even joining forces with the opposition to take on the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance?

Raj Thackeray’s speech on Gudi Padwa is always a major political event, but this time the implications extend far beyond just rallying his workers. His party sat out the last two general elections in 2014 and 2019. So there is tremendous curiosity over which direction he will take them this time around.

The timing of the MNS’s Gudi Padwa Melava, which celebrates the Hindu new year, could hardly be more fortuitous as Maharashtra’s political winds continue to shift rapidly. Thackeray met with senior BJP leader Amit Shah in Delhi recently, setting off frenzied speculation that he may join the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA). However, former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis muddied the waters by claiming the MNS chief could actually help the opposition grand alliance’s cause.

Political observers will be watching keenly for any signals from Thackeray regarding potential alignments, especially after the Shiv Sena’s split that saw a rebel faction ditch the Maha Vikas Aghadi government and ally with the BJP last year.

Before the MNS chief’s much-anticipated speech, party workers and supporters at the rally will be addressed by senior leaders like Nitin Sardesai, Bala Nandgaonkar, Sandeep Deshpande and Prakash Mahajan starting around 5.30 pm. Their speeches could offer clues on the party’s thinking and who the MNS is preparing to target on the campaign trail.

Thackeray’s fiery brand of Hindutva politics and history of divisive rhetoric have made the Gudi Padwa rally a major event in the past. However, elaborate preparations this time including large LED screens have fueled expectations that he could deploy more audacious tactics and visuals while laying out his party’s game plan.

The MNS chief will likely be joined by his wife Sharmila Thackeray, son Amit Thackeray, and party MLAs like Raju Patil and Avinash Jadhav among other prominent members. But all eyes will be trained on the leader who has proven capable of shaking up Maharashtra’s political terrain with his oratory and brinkmanship.

As the state braces for yet another feverish election campaign amidst changing alliances and ambitions, Raj Thackeray’s Gudi Padwa speech could prove to be the starting gun for the MNS’s poll preparations after sitting out the last two parliamentary contests. Whether he goes it alone or joins a broader alliance could have major ramifications for how resultant polls play out in India’s richest state.

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