Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Chief Raj Thackeray during a rally in Mumbai`s Dadar area on Sunday evening. Pic/ Rane Ashish
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Monday reiterated his allegations against the BJP, accusing the party of favouring industrialist Gautam Adani and enabling the rapid expansion of the Adani Group across Mumbai, Maharashtra, and the country.
In a post on X, Raj referred to maps shown during his rally on Sunday with cousin Uddhav, claiming they illustrated how major infrastructure and business projects were awarded to the Adani Group after the BJP came to power.
The two cousins held a joint Shiv Sena (UBT)-Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) rally at Shivaji Park in Dadar, Mumbai, where they shared the stage for the first time in nearly two decades, ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Election 2026.
During his address, Raj used maps from 2014 and 2025 to argue that Gautam Adani's business footprint had expanded dramatically under BJP rule. He claimed that while Adani had limited projects earlier, the conglomerate now operates across sectors such as electricity, cement, ports, airports, and infrastructure, allegedly with government backing.
"In 2014, Gautam Adani had just one project in Maharashtra. By 2024, he has multiple projects across the state," Raj said, pointing to visuals displayed during his speech.
Referring specifically to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Raj said, "Take a close look at the expansion of the Adani Group in the MMR region. Some forces, still resentful that Mumbai became part of Maharashtra instead of Gujarat, are now trying to gain control over Mumbai and MMR by backing this industrial conglomerate."
Raj also launched a broader attack on the BJP-led government, alleging that its governance showed little concern for public opinion. He claimed the controversy over Hindi âcompulsion' was a deliberate test to see whether the Marathi manoos was still alert.
"After the Vidhan Sabha polls, the government started doing whatever it wanted. They didn't care about the people of Maharashtra," he said. Comparing the current regime with previous governments, Raj alleged, "This government neither cares about the people nor fears them."
He further accused the BJP of forming opportunistic political alliances, claiming the party allied with AIMIM in Akot and with the Congress in Badlapur, resulting in the election of 66 candidates without public scrutiny.
"Today it is 66; tomorrow the number will increase," he warned.
Targeting BJP's candidate selection, Raj alleged that Vinod Gangane, who he claimed was linked to a drug racket, was given a BJP ticket in Tuljapur, while Tushar Apte, who is a co-accused in the Badlapur sexual abuse case, was also fielded by the party.
"How can such people be given tickets?" questioned the MNS chief.
Raj further alleged that the BJP was "selling Mumbai, Maharashtra and even the country" and urged voters to consider the consequences carefully.
During the rally, he also took a swipe at K Annamalai, mockingly referring to him as "rasmalai", after the BJP leader reportedly described Mumbai as an "international city" while campaigning in Dharavi and Sion Koliwada.
"One rasmalai has come from Tamil Nadu⦠what connection do you have with this place? Hatao lungi, bajao pungi," Raj said, invoking the iconic slogan associated with the Shiv Sena founded by his late uncle, Balasaheb Thackeray.
Raj's remarks drew loud cheers from the crowd, highlighting the emotive issue of Mumbai's identity as political parties gear up for the upcoming civic polls. The joint appearance of Raj and Uddhav at Shivaji Park marked a significant political moment, signalling a possible shift in Maharashtra's political landscape ahead of BMC Election 2026.
