Raj set to play realpolitik

MUMBAI: Raj Thackeray will organise a morcha against the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday and further up the ante against the Shiv Sena, thereby setting the stage for a heady electoral battle.

In a show of strength ahead of the February ‘07 civic body elections, chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Raj Thackeray is all set to challenge the Shiv Sena-BJP rule in the BMC by organising a public rally on August 18.

As per the earlier strategy the rally was scheduled to be taken out on July 14. However, 7/11 and the aftermath forced him to defer the plan. Mr Thackeray, who quit Shiv Sena to form the MNS, aims to take up the ‘cause’ of tax payers and raise civic problems which the saffron parties have ‘failed’ to solve.

“It will be a Mumbai-specific rally with issues concerning Mumbaikars forming the agenda,” a source said. “Though elections are nearly eight months away, Raj is taking no chances and is hitting out at the saffron combine,” the sources said, adding that the MNS is the first party to jump into the election bandwagon.

Political observers said that Mr Thackeray does not want to take any chances as Congress, the main opposition in the BMC, now has Narayan Rane and the Shiv Sena also has been feeling emboldened after the July 11 blasts that killed over 200. So far, MNS had not taken out any rallies or staged public agitation.

This would be the litmus test for Mr Thackeray to show his strength in a run up to the civic polls, party sources said. “We have organised a huge morcha (rally) of our members who shall march to the civic body. Through this agitation we shall take up the problems of people but the issues will be highlighted by Raj himself at the rally on August 18,” an associate said.