After these polls, the estranged nephew of Bal Thackeray and chief of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Raj Thackeray is hot in media. The three year old MNS floated by Raj, has made a dramatic entry on the political scene of Maharashtra by securing 13 seats of the state assembly and stealing the traditional vote of the Sena-BJP alliance.

 

The Congress bagged 82 seats, NCP 62, Shiv Sena 44, BJP 46, MNS 13, the Third Front got eight and others got 33. In these elections Raj led Sena took 5.7 per cent of the total vote across the state and gave serious jolt to the BJP-Shiv Sena combine. The present assembly outcome has clearly sent a message that the MNS is not only a catalyst to the UPA victory, but a political force in the state, which can translate the crowd into victory.

 

He was able to pull heavy votes and ensured the defeat of the BJP led NDA in at least 10 seats, causing the Shiv Sena to lose 3.7 per cent of its vote since the Lok Sabha elections held in May of this year. However, the NCP also lost 2.4 per cent of its vote.

 

The people in the political circles are surprised by this Raj effect on electoral politics. Of course, the present political trend may be in favour of Raj and no body seems to be in a position to under estimate the MNS. But, it is also a bitter truth that he is following the foot steps of his uncle and political guru Bal Thackeray, who is better known for the hate politics and regionalism.

 

Today, Raj is doing what he learnt from his uncle, as he too lacks political issues. His politics revolves around the Marathi Manoos and he did everything to create a divide among Marathis and people of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Since its inception, the MNS played the pressure politics and street fights for which the Shiv Sainiks were known.

 

It is his political wisdom which has given birth to the regional minority community, purely a new type of minority in the country. In the near future, the human right activists may be seen rubbing their shoulders to protect the rights of regional minority.

 

Everybody in Maharashtra and outside knows that the fight between the two senas is not on ideological basis, but a family feud. Raj parted his ways, purely on the question of succession. Once he was considered not only the most powerful man in the Shiv Sena after Bal Thackeray, but his successor too. He worked hard to elevate the party and learnt the political mantra from his uncle, the Thackeray senior and he was very dear to him. But, the time has changed and now the Shiv Sena supremo claims that the MNS chief is nothing but a "modern day Jinnah”, who is playing into the hands of the Congress to divide the sons of the soil.

 

So far as future prospects are concerned, it is a fact that the MNS has got the status of a regional party, as the MNS has won the required nine seats. It seems to be a great achievement for Raj, but the biggest question is who has voted for him? In an honest and careful analysis of last few elections in the state, it becomes very clear that the Raj led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has captured the seats that Shiv Sena was losing.

 

A theory suggest that those people who lost their jobs due to the downsizing of corporate houses in the state, have lost their faith in the regional parties. They saw a ray of hope in Raj Thackeray and his earlier effort to reinstate the sacked employee of Jet Airways may be one of the reasons. Some Marathi people of younger generation might have voted for him, but it is very uncertain that this youth enthusiasm will continue for ever.