Several recent incidents involving Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists in different parts of Maharashtra – resorting to violence against people such as a watchman and bank officials for not speaking in Marathi – indicate that party chief Raj Thackeray has decided to revive its political fortunes by renewing his “Mi Marathi (I am Marathi)” campaign.
There has been a rise in such incidents in Mumbai and some neighbouring towns after Raj Thackeray, while addressing a Gudi Padwa rally held at Shivaji Park in Mumbai last Sunday, said that his party activists would not back down on “slapping” people residing in the state if they refuse to speak Marathi.
“In our Mumbai, they tell us that they cannot speak Marathi… they will get a slap on the face. Don’t tell me about the country and all. Every state has its language and it must be respected. In Mumbai, Marathi should be respected,” Raj told MNS workers. “From tomorrow, check every bank, every establishment. Check whether Marathi is being used. All of you should stand firmly for Marathi,” he said, adding, “Look at Tamil Nadu. It dared to say no to Hindi. Even Kerala.”
Significantly, both the ruling Mahayuti and the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) parties have refrained from coming out to oppose these incidents linked to the Marathi push.
Even Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who holds the Home portfolio, reacted only on Wednesday, saying cautiously, “It is not wrong to demand Marathi in Maharashtra. The government also wants to optimise the use of Marathi language. Yet, if anybody takes the law in their own hands, the law will take its own course.”
While Raj Thackeray is not a part of the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition, he is considered close to the BJP and Fadnavis. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, he had extended his support to the BJP, not fielding any MNS candidates in Maharashtra.
Like the Mahayuti camp, the MVA parties also seem to be cautious in their reactions to the Marathi row flare-up even as they targeted the BJP over Raj’s moves.
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Congress leader Vijay Waddetiwar said, “Let us now wait and see whether the BJP, which is ruling both the state and at the Centre, pays heed to the MNS’s demand for making Marathi mandatory in nationalised banks.”
A former NCP (SP ) minister, requesting anonymity, said, “It is apparent that the MNS has the BJP’s patronage. They (the BJP) are encouraging this kind of politics for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls. They want to undermine both the Senas – their ally Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena as well as Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT).”
The MNS has been in political wilderness in the state for several years. In the November 2024 Assembly polls, it drew a blank with 1.55% vote share despite contesting 135 seats out of 288. In 2019, the party could win just one seat with 2.5% vote share.
In the BMC polls, which have traditionally been dominated by the Sena, the MNS had won seven seats out of 227 in 2017. With the much-delayed elections in the BMC, along with those in other local bodies, now expected to be held in October- November this year, Raj has returned to the “Marathi Manoos (son of the soil)” plank in a bid to get a foothold in the politics of his home turf. With the Marathi-speaking people accounting for about 35% of Mumbai’s population, the MNS chief is hoping to create a resonance among them by pitching for making Marathi mandatory in the state.
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Raj had floated the MNS in March 2006 after quitting the then Bal Thackeray-headed Shiv Sena following differences with his cousin Uddhav. Like the Sena, the MNS also centered its politics on the Marathi Manoos issue.
Bal Thackeray had founded the Sena in June 1966 to champion the cause of the son of soil, declaring that it would be mainly dedicated to social work rather than politics. Flagging the issue of “discrimination” against Marathis, Thackeray projected the Sena as their party, emerging as a key voice of a large section of state youths.
Thackeray launched a campaign against South Indians, alleging that they were “usurping” jobs in banks and other public sector establishments in Maharashtra. His provocative speeches at public rallies attracted many Marathis to the Sena. From 1980 onwards, the Sena started going after North Indians, mainly those hailing from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Thackeray’s son Uddhav, who took charge of the Sena following his demise in 2012, has not been known as an aggressive leader, with the party adopting a softer approach under his leadership. While the party continued to hold on to the Marathi Manoos as its main agenda, the Uddhav-led Sena also launched campaigns to reach out to South Indians, North Indians and Gujarati communities in order to expand its support base.
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Speaking at a Sena rally in 2019, Uddhav said, “We don’t discriminate against non-Marathi speaking migrants who have made Mumbai their home for generations.”
In June 2022, Eknath Shinde revolted against Uddhav and split the Sena, which led to the collapse of the MVA government led by the latter. Shinde formed the Mahayuti government with the BJP and took over as the CM, even as his rebellion weakened the Uddhav Sena.
While the Shinde Sena has continued to be part of the new Mahayuti government, and Shinde is now the Deputy CM, there have been tensions with the BJP.
Struggling for survival, the MNS is bracing for a “do or die battle” in the BMC polls. With Uddhav on a weak wicket, the BJP is looking to wrest the BMC from the Uddhav Sena in the upcoming polls. “To achieve this objective, the BJP is considering all options. If the MNS contests the BMC polls and dents the Uddhav Sena through an overt or covert alliance with the Mahayuti, it would work to the BJP’s advantage,” a BJP insider said.
