Raj Thackeray has to his credit a record of sorts — he has campaigned for different parties in the past four Lok Sabha elections. Before breaking away from Matoshree, he canvassed for Shiv Sena. Then he sought votes for his own Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and mesmerised voters who stood by him. They didn't give him a single MP in 2009, but ensured the fall of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Sena in Mumbai and many other places of influence. The same year, Raj got 13 MLAs elected, and emerged a force to reckon with. Five years later, he came under Narendra Modi's spell and sought to make the then Gujarat Chief Minister the PM. And now, Raj is asking for Modi's removal.

Raj's public rallies across the state have been attractive. The opposition, that lacked teeth while attacking the BJP-Sena, is happier. The BJP is leaving no page of social media unturned to counter 'Raj ki baat.' Raj, the leader, who once praised Modi as a harbinger of hope and a tool to transform the country beyond one's imagination, has gone the way of some partners of BJP who left the NDA before completing the term. The common ground that prompted them to quit was the indifference of Modi and Amit Shah. United with like-minded parties and coalitions, the NDA dropouts are contesting against BJP with all their power packed together. Some frenemies like Sena, who were more abusive of Modi and BJP president Shah than any other estranged NDA ally, have stayed back in the pact.