Even if I take slightly flexible political stance, it won't be for selfish interests: Raj Thackeray

Thackeray's statement comes two days after five corporators of his party extended support to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) in Thane district.

Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Friday said even if he takes a slightly flexible stance in today's completely transformed politics, it will never be for his personal gain or selfish interests.

His statement comes two days after five corporators of his party extended support to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) in Thane district.

The move raised eyebrows as the MNS had contested the January 15 civic polls with the Shiv Sena (UBT) in several municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including the KDMC and Mumbai. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party openly expressed disappointment over MNS corporators' move of siding with the rival party.

In a post written on X on the 100th birth anniversary of Shiv Sena founder and his uncle late Bal Thackeray, Raj Thackeray said, "Today loyalties are easily sold off. Principles are casually discarded, and politics has become entirely opportunistic. In today's politics, success is measured not by which issues were brought to the forefront, or how fiercely regional and linguistic identities were kept alive, but by how much success was achieved in electoral politics and what tricks are employed to get there." "In Balasaheb's time, there were no such compromises with expectations like these...He himself had no craving for power...Even when Balasaheb had to take a flexible stance in politics at times, his love for the Marathi people never diminished even by a fraction; on the contrary, it only grew stronger. These are the values instilled in us," the MNS president said.

"I give my word once again today that even if I take a slightly flexible stance in this completely transformed politics, it will never be for my personal gain or selfish interests," he added.

Seeing Balasaheb's fiery love for the Marathi language, Marathi province, and Marathi people, thousands and lakhs of people joined him, and I am one of them. Therefore, the faith and love that I and my Maharashtra Sainiks have for the two words 'Balasaheb' and 'Marathi' will never diminish even by a fraction, Raj said.