Raj Thackeray calls Maharashtra politics a 'marketplace of slaves' amid mayor polls
Raj Thackeray calls Maharashtra politics a 'marketplace of slaves' amid mayor polls
Raj Thackeray blasts the political climate as a 'marketplace of slaves' while weighing in on KDMC, Shiv Sena unity, and the looming mayor polls.
Raj Thackeray, the chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, delivered a sharp assessment of the state's political climate during a program marking Bal Thackeray's birth centenary at Shanmukhanand Auditorium in Mumbai. Reading from an X post, he urged politicians to be flexible at times, warning that politics in Maharashtra has become a marketplace of slaves. He touched on the current tussle for various posts following the civic polls and called for a pragmatic approach amid the suspense around the upcoming mayoral tests.
He referenced the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) row, saying what happened there was disgusting and asking where the political discourse is headed. He said he had spoken to Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut about the KDMC situation and hinted at his own past exit from the Sena nearly two decades ago, noting that "Let's leave that all behind."
The remarks come as the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS have temporarily rejoined to contest the BMC polls, winning 71 seats between them with MNS securing six. With KDMC emerging as a battleground, the MNS has backed Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Eknath Shinde's faction in the KDMC contest, aiming to outpace the BJP in the hometown of Ravindra Chavan, the state party chief. Local leaders, including Raju Patil, were seen discussing party moves with Sena MP Shrikant Shinde before the announcement. The MNS says the decision to support the Sena was taken by the Kalyan local unit.
As the KDMC race intensifies, observers say the reconciliation of long-standing rivals could reshape the power balance in the region. Thackeray's comments underscore a broader debate about loyalty, pragmatism, and the price of political realignments in Maharashtra ahead of upcoming mayoral contests.
