From 'Modi-mukt Bharat' to unconditional support, story of Raj Thackeray’s love-hate relationship with Narendra Modi

Maharashtra Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Even during the fervour of the 2014 general elections, Thackeray stood firmly behind Modi.

Just five years ago, Raj Thackeray embarked on a journey across Maharashtra, igniting fervent rallies aimed squarely at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These gatherings, dubbed "Laav Re To Video" (Play that Video), featured old clips portraying Modi's myriad promises. With meticulous precision, Thackeray juxtaposed Modi's words against his actions, vividly illustrating the chasm between rhetoric and reality. He gave a call for "Modi Mukt Bharat" (Modi free India). Shortly a notice from the Enforcement Directorate followed. Raj Thackeray was summoned to the ED office and was grilled for around eight hours in an old case. Then onwards he ceased targeting Modi. Yet, in a stunning turn of events last Tuesday, Thackeray confounded pundits and supporters alike by extending unconditional support to Narendra Modi, despite failed negotiations for an alliance.

This capricious dance of admiration and antagonism between Thackeray and Modi has defined their relationship for over a decade and a half. In 2011 Raj Thackeray visited Gujarat to observe the Modi model of governance. Modi, who was then CM of the state, gave a grand welcome to him and instructed top bureaucrats to give presentations to Thackeray. Thackeray told reporters that he was impressed with Modi's administration and such a model could be followed in Maharashtra as well. Admiring Modi, he went to the extent of announcing that Modi should be made the Prime Minister of India.

Even during the fervour of the 2014 general elections, Thackeray stood firmly behind Modi, albeit with tempered enthusiasm. While his party, the MNS, contested on a limited scale, Thackeray strategically avoided clashing with the BJP, reserving his electoral arsenal for the Shiv Sena's bastions. However, disillusionment soon clouded Thackeray's once unwavering support, as he lambasted Modi's tenure, deriding the emphasis on Gujarat-centric development projects like the bullet train and decrying policies such as demonetization.

The nadir of Thackeray's opposition to Modi materialised in 2019, as he embarked on a relentless crusade, armed with the incendiary ammunition of Modi's own words captured on video. Thackeray continued his tirade against Modi till the ED summon came.

In a seismic shift in 2020, Thackeray recalibrated his political compass, embracing Hindutva as the cornerstone of his party's ideology. He changed the flag of MNS and adopted a saffron one. He apparently moved away from the politics of regionalism and hatred towards "outsiders". This metamorphosis paved the path for dalliances with national parties, erstwhile wary of his anti-north Indian stance fearing repercussions in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Since last few days, Thackeray was in talks with the BJP and the Shiv Sena for alliance in the Lok Sabha elections. However, the alliance couldn't happen as Thackeray rejected the condition that his party's candidate should contest on the BJP's election symbol. However, his support to Modi in Lok Sabha is likely to be reciprocated by the BJP by accommodating him in the alliance for Vidhan Sabha, which are likely to be held in October. With Raj Thackeray on its side, the BJP would not only get a good orator but also Thackeray's voter base.