Mumbai, 25 Oct 2025

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP and chief party spokesperson Sanjay Raut met Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) founder Raj Thackeray today to chalk out plans to ensure that the November 1 rally of all Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) opposition parties including Congress, Sharad Pawar-led NCP as well as Shiv Sena-UBT, will witness a huge attendance which will rattle the EC.

Sanjay Raut reached MNS chief Raj Thackeray's 'Shivthirth' residence at Shivaji Park near the Arabian Sea in Dadar West, where he was received by Raj Thackeray's son Amit Thackeray.

Raut said, “Electoral rolls should be clean. All major parties except ruling parties have raised the issue of tainted voters' lists. The Election Commission is not ready to accept that voters’ lists are not clean. So we are left with no other option, but to give the Election Commission a jolt by hitting the streets.”

“On November 1, there will be a grand rally in Mumbai with participation by all opposition parties against the EC's corrupt acts. Lakhs of people who have lost their voting rights will take to the streets and show their strength. This fight is to protect democracy and if the Election Commission is not ready to listen, then they will have to listen to the message from the people on the street”, he added.

The meeting between Sanjay Raut and Raj Thackeray took place immediately after the latter met top MNS office-bearers at his 'Shivtirth' residence today.

At the meeting with MNS office-bearers, the party chief spoke about ways to ensure that the forthcoming November 1 joint rally by opposition parties is a grand success. The meeting was attended by top MNS leaders including Bala Nandgaonkar, Avinash Abhyankar, Abhijit Panse, Avinash Jadhav, Gajanan Kale and Yashwant Killedar.

"This march will not be to display power, but to fight for the truth. This march will not be for fake voters in the voters' list, but for real voters. You must do everything to ensure that those sitting in Delhi will not be able to ignore this 'Galli To Delhi' march. You must organise such a rally which has never been witnessed in the past before and will not be witnessed in the future as well," Raj Thackeray told MNS leaders.

After Raj Thackeray's instructions, MNS leaders and office-bearers issued instructions to lower level cadres to organise the November 1 rally.

MNS president Raj Thackeray made a serious allegation that 96 lakh fake voters have been registered in the Maharashtra voters' list in order to manipulate the local civic body elections to be held in the state.
Thackeray said, “Around 8 to 10 lakh fake voters have been registered in Mumbai, around 8 to 8.5 lakh fake voters have been registered in Thane, and a similar number of fake voters have been registered in Pune and Nashik. We had requested the Election Commission that local civic body elections must be postponed until the voters' list is completely cleaned up to the satisfaction of all political parties.”

“But our request fell on deaf ears because the BJP is hellbent on monopolising power right from the panchayat to the Parliament. They want to retain power at the Centre, in the states, in municipal corporations, in zilla parishads and even panchayats,” Raj Thackeray added.

Raj Thackeray attacked the Adani Group and the BJP government for allegedly facilitating every project eyed by the Adani Group, alleging that the BJP government plans to shut down the existing Santacruz domestic airport in Mumbai, which is run by the Adani Group so that the domestic airport land can be used for real estate projects.
“By closing the Santacruz airport and shifting operations to the upcoming Wadhwan airport in Palghar, the entire Santacruz domestic airport land can be made open for real estate development,” he alleged.

“From Lok Sabha to Zilla Parishad, why do they want to keep all power with them? They want such dictatorial power only to help these businesses do whatever they want. How do they keep power with them? They do it by manipulating voters’ lists. I want all of you to keep this in mind,” Raj Thackeray told MNS party workers.

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Mumbai, Correspondent

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray today issued a stern warning to the State Election Commission, saying that polls in Maharashtra should not be held until all doubts over voter rolls and any irregularities in the election process are resolved. 

The MNS chief alleged that with the BJP in power at both the Centre and the state, the party now wants control over municipal corporations as well and is manipulating voter lists by adding fake names to secure victory. 

Speaking at a gathering of MNS workers ahead of local body elections, he urged workers of all parties to scrutinize the voter lists carefully. 

"Check every voter list minutely. Identify where these manipulations have taken place. This is not just for your own party, but for everyone who values fair elections. Until this is done, the Election Commission should not conduct elections," Thackeray asserted. 

Thackeray also attacked the government, accusing it of favouring industrialists Adani and Ambani. The government wants to gift all major cities to these businessmen, and unfortunately, many Marathi people are acting as middlemen for them. "The fence itself is eating the crop," he remarked. 

He further alleged that flight operations at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport are being deliberately reduced to shift traffic to the Adani-owned Navi Mumbai Airport.
Thackeray cautioned Marathi voters who support the BJP, warning that when “the Gujarati steamroller rolls over Maharashtra,” even Marathi BJP supporters will face its consequences.

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Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey engaging in a war of words. The controversy began when Raj Thackeray and his cousin Uddhav Thackeray took an aggressive stance on the Marathi language issue, prompting Nishikant Dubey to challenge them. Dubey dared the Thackeray brothers to venture outside Maharashtra, specifically to Bihar, Tamil Nadu, or Uttar Pradesh, claiming they would be thrashed if they did so.

Recent Developments
Raj Thackeray responded to Dubey's remarks by saying, "You come to Mumbai. Mumbai ke samundar mein dubo dubo ke maarenge" ("We'll drown you in the Mumbai sea"). Dubey, however, remains unapologetic about his earlier statement, "Marathi logon ko hum yahan pe patak patak ke maarenge" ("We'll thrash Marathi people repeatedly"). Dubey questioned why no action was taken against him, despite his comments being widely reported.

Escalating Tensions
The verbal spat between the two leaders has sparked sharp criticism, even from within the BJP alliance. Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC questioned the tone and focus of the discourse, stating, "What is this ‘patak patak ke maarna’, ‘duba duba ke maarna’? Rise out of this mindset and tell us your vision plan for Maharashtra… This politics of hooliganism does not work anywhere." BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar also condemned Thackeray's remarks, saying no one can drown someone in the sea and get away with it.

Reactions
Raj Thackeray's Stance:  Thackeray emphasized the importance of the Marathi language and warned against imposing Hindi in schools. He urged residents of Maharashtra to learn Marathi and take pride in speaking it.
Nishikant Dubey's Response: Dubey defended his statements, stating he stands by his words and is proud of his mother tongue, Hindi. He accused the Thackerays of targeting migrants and claimed that people from other regions would retaliate if attacked.

Congress Leader's Reaction: Congress leader Surendra Rajput called Dubey "the enemy of the whole of north India" and accused him of making unnecessary comments on the language issue to gain attention.

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Mumbai,  7 July 2025

A recent incident in Mira Road, Mumbai, where Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers allegedly assaulted a shopkeeper for not speaking in Marathi, has sparked a political firestorm. Seven MNS workers have been booked in connection with the attack.

Reacting to the controversy, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey made a provocative statement that has stirred further outrage. Referring to the treatment of non-Marathi speakers by MNS, Dubey took a swipe at the Thackeray brothers — Uddhav and Raj Thackeray — indirectly challenging them over their stance on migrants.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Dubey said, “Even a dog is like a tiger in his own home. If you have the courage…”, a remark that is being widely interpreted as both inflammatory and offensive. His use of the word "dog" in reference has drawn strong criticism and is expected to ignite fresh political backlash.

The comment is seen as a direct challenge to the MNS’s aggressive stance on promoting the Marathi language and opposing migrants, particularly those from other states who do not speak Marathi.

The verbal war between the BJP and MNS is escalating rapidly, with both sides trading sharp barbs over regional identity, language politics, and the treatment of migrant communities in Maharashtra.

As tensions rise, political observers fear that the rhetoric may further inflame social divisions in an already sensitive atmosphere.

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray in Mumbai today. The three leaders discussed a possible alliance before the Lok Sabha elections. The meeting took place at Taj Lands End, Bandra. Let us tell you that before this, MNS chief Raj Thackeray had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Tuesday.

Raj Thackeray also met Amit Shah
After meeting Home Minister Amit Shah, it was indicated that Raj Thackeray may form an alliance with BJP before the Lok Sabha elections. On this meeting, senior MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar said, the conversation between the two leaders was positive and the details of this meeting will be shared in a day or two. Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said that the conversation between Union Minister Amit Shah and Raj Thackeray was positive. Everything will become clear in a few days.

Elections will be held in five phases in Maharashtra
Let us tell you that Raj Thackeray had separated from Shiv Sena in 2006, after which he formed Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. If the alliance is finalized then MNS is likely to contest from a seat in Mumbai. Elections will be held in five phases for 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. Voting will be held on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20. The results will be released on July 4.