Raj Thackeray

"It's a hundred-year-old custom... It's not right to break it, the traditions should not be stopped..." urged Thackeray - the estranged cousin of former Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray. Simultaneously, he issued a veiled warning that "outsiders should not interfere in this" and "it is for the local.

After an earful by Sena (UBT) chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut, Deputy Leader Sushma Andhare shot off a letter, informing 'Dada' Raj (elder brother) that the Navi Mumbai tragedy of April 16 was a "man-made disaster" compared to the Covid-19 pandemic which was a natural calamity not created by Uddhav. Adopting a sweet sisterly tone, Andhare lauded Raj for the "four-day delay but finally speaking about the tragedy" that claimed 14 lives, and then hit hard: "After the disaster, did you rush to meet the families of the victims?"

Drawing the attention of the state government, Mumbai Police and civic administration, the MNS chief also served an ultimatum to them that unless it is demolished within a month, the MNS would go and erect a Ganpati temple at the same spot. Hinting at a potential security threat, Raj Thackeray demanded: "The Mahim police station is close by, the BMC officials keep moving around there... Yet since the past two years this  dargah' is blatantly coming up in the sea... Another  Haji Ali Dargah'... And there's nobody to talk about it?"

Addressing a massive Gudi Padwa rally at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park here, he said that "we cannot have a government that keeps glancing at the court for its survival", and hence the state assembly polls should be conducted "right now". Returning to his popular rally style of "Laav re te video" (Play that video), Raj Thackeray.

This paves the way for a smooth election for Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray party nominee Rutuja Ramesh Latke on November 3. Hours after the announcement by state BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule, candidate Murji Patel withdrew his nomination papers on Monday evening - the last date for withdrawal.

Raj Thackeray is the nephew of Shiv Sena founder the late Balasaheb Thackeray -- and estranged cousin of ex-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray -- and had quit the party in 2005 to launch the MNS in 2006. He issued an appeal to all his party leaders and workers "not to speak to the media on the issues (in Shiv Sena) or make posts on the social media".

The meeting took place at the Deputy Chief Minister's residence, nearly six weeks after Fadnavis went to Raj Thackeray's home Shivtirth in Dadar on July 15, in what was described as a courtesy call. Monday's tete-a-tete came a week after the MNS chief bounced back into action after convalescing nearly three months following a hip surgery.