BJP offers to induct Raj Thackeray's son in Maharashtra cabinet

The BJP has apparently approached the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) with an offer to induct MNS chief Raj Thackeray's son Amit Thackeray into the Cabinet. The move may be seen as strategic considering that Amit is not an MLA or MLC. This would be on the lines of the BJP's move in having have rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde as the chief minister of the state to cut the influence of the Thackeray family in the Shiv Sena.

The BJP's Amit gambit is meant to hurt the Sena where it hurts the most. Over the years, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray's son Aaditya Thackeray has been groomed to take over the Shiv Sena and the move to get Amit into the cabinet is being seen as a direct challenge to Aaditya. Both Amit and Aaditya are being projected as young leaders to lure youths to their camps.

MNS leaders claim that they were not aware of any such offer. BJP leaders were also tight-lipped. However, news coming from MNS is that Raj may have rejected the offer. This again could not be officially confirmed.


Significantly, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis whose game plan it was to get Amit into the ministry, was supposed to meet Raj on Wednesday for a 'courtesy' meeting. However, the meet has been postponed.

The BJP's move to make Shinde the CM is already paying rich dividends in neutralising Uddhav's leadership over the Shiv Sena. On Tuesday, the party suffered a huge jolt when its spokesperson and former corporator Sheetal Mhatre joined the Shinde camp. With Mhatre joining the Shinde camp, several of Shiv Sena's former BMC corporators could join the Shinde camp putting a big question mark on Uddhav's control on the party.

Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena-BJP government may go for a cabinet expansion on July 19 a day after the Presidential polls.