Sena MP ridicules ‘Thackeray jodo’ campaign

Sanjay Raut has ridiculed the campaign launched by some of his party members to bring together party executive president Uddhav Thackeray and his estranged cousin and MNS chief Raj Thackeray.

Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut has ridiculed the campaign launched by some of his party members to bring together party executive president Uddhav Thackeray and his estranged cousin and MNS chief Raj Thackeray.

“If you are a Shiv Sainik,there is no need to worry about those who have run away ditching the Shiv Sena. Only thing you have to do is to unite under the saffron flag and also take the new generation along with you,” Raut wrote in his weekly column in the party mouthpiece ‘Saamna’ in

reference to the recent ‘Thackeray jodo’ campaign launched by few Shiv Sena activists.

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Nobody among those who have initiated it (the campaign) would be able to explain what do they mean by ‘Thackeray jodo abhiyan’.

Raut said the proponents of the campaign have referred to the coming together of Mukesh and Anil Ambani in the interest of their business and that the Thackerays also should do the same.

“Who would not like if Raj returns to the party. But it was Raj who had left on his own,” Raut pointed out.

“I have seen the pain in Balasaheb’s (Bal Thackeray) eyes when Raj left. Raj helped the Congress by splitting Marathi votes. The 13 MLAs of MNS have split Sena votes. The Assembly election trend was not replicated in the recent Aurangabad and Navi Mumbai municipal elections which means that the MNS has not gained at the grassroots. Whereas the Shiv Sena’s cadre and mass base at the grass root is still strong,” Raut said.