Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have an unusual rival to contend with — a rival who is not even contesting the elections — Raj Thackeray. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief, who is grabbing headlines for his attacks on the all-powerful BJP duo, has unsurprisingly, emerged as the darling of the opposition. The BJP’s rivals have invited Thackeray to hold rallies in many poll-bound states beyond Maharashtra, which is Raj’s usual bailiff.  Raj Thackeray — best known for his anti-North India references ­— has so far addressed at least seven rallies across Maharashtra, highlighting issues on which the BJP-led government has “failed the people”. The attacks are not random rantings; they are backed up with facts, figures, archived newspaper clippings, audio clips and videos. 

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In other words, these attacks would do Modi himself proud. A Raj favourite is highlighting the condition of Nagepur, a UP village adopted by PM Modi in Uttar Pradesh under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana. Belittling the Prime Minister’s claims, the scathing attack is followed by a documentary where Nagepur villagers complain about shoddy drainage and polluted well water. Raj’s MNS, which is facing near decimation in political terms, has thus managed to make itself relevant. 

Raj has received invitations from the Congress, Janata Dal (Secular), Haryana Vikas Party and a couple of community organisations in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Karnataka to address rallies. His hard-hitting style and use of videos to substantiate claims are the pull factor behind these invitations. His focus on national issues over outsider-insider politics is also considered as one of the factors for his popularity. The BJP has been forced to take notice, alleging that Raj is acting at the behest of Sharad Pawar.