Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will support Amit Thackeray, son of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, in the upcoming elections for the Mahim assembly seat. Fadnavis stated that Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also expressed a wish that no candidate be fielded against Amit Thackeray, emphasizing cooperation within the alliance.
In remarks addressing the decision, Fadnavis explained that while many leaders within the alliance initially felt a BJP candidate should be fielded in Mahim to prevent votes from shifting to Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), the final consensus was to support Raj Thackeray’s son in the single constituency as requested by MNS.
“The Chief Minister also wished that no candidate be fielded against Amit Thackeray,” Fadnavis stated. “However, many leaders in the party were concerned that if we didn’t field a candidate, the votes could shift to UBT. Since Raj Thackeray has only requested support for one seat, the BJP believes Amit Thackeray should be supported there.”
The decision marks a strategic alignment between the BJP and MNS, signaling unity and a cooperative stance within Maharashtra’s ruling coalition ahead of the 2024 Assembly elections. The Mahim seat is now expected to be a focal point for the alliance as the campaign progresses.