Raj Thackeray says patience is everything in politics as MNS marks 18 years

Mumbai: Patience is evening in politics, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray said on Saturday as his party turned 18. Thackeray, however, stayed away from speaking on the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls and his party's stance amid reports of MNS being in talks with the BJP.

Raj, the nephew of late Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, however, indicated that he would declare his position on Gudi Padwa.

“I would be sharing more thoughts during Gudi Padwa," he said in reference to the annual Gudi Padwa rally - which this time falls on April 9- and by that time the Election Commission would have announced the poll schedule.

Thackeray was speaking at a meeting in Nashik to commemorate that foundation day of MNS, which he formed after coming out of the fold of Shiv Sena following differences with his cousin Uddhav Thackeray, the former Chief Minister and now Shiv Sena (UBT) head.

“(Prime Minister) Narendra Modi’s success was not overnight….it is hard work of party workers…The Jana Sangh was formed in 1952 and became the BJP in 1980…a lot of people have worked like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani and in Maharashtra we had leaders like Pramod Mahajan and Gopinath Munde,” he said.

"Even Vajpayee’s government lasted for 13 days first, then for 13 months and then four-and-half years. Later, the Congress ruled for 10 years, and now the BJP has been in power for 10 years. With our clear, honest stand, we will also get success for sure, but patience is necessary,” he said.

Raj also questioned the delay in the completion of the memorial of legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the Arabian Sea.

“The issue has been pending since the Congress government. Even Modi came for the bhumi poojan, but the project has not been completed. At that time also, I had said that it was impossible to have such a memorial in the Arabian Sea…it is technically not feasible,” he said.

“Around Rs 25,000 crore to Rs 30,000 crore is required to erect a statue in the sea. The real memorials of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj are the forts he built,” he said.