Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray denied charges that he was being propped up by the Sharad Pawar-led NCP. Speaking at his first election rally in Mumbai, Raj called on the electorate to vote against the Shiv Sena as a vote for them would translate into a mandate for Modi and BJP president Amit Shah. Speaking on Tuesday at Kalachowki, which falls in the Mumbai South constituency, where Arvind Sawant of the Shiv Sena is defeating his seat against Milind Deora (Congress), Raj lashed out at Prime Minister Modi on a range of issues including the Pulwama terror attacks, Rafale deal, and promises to create 10 crore jobs in five years. "These two people (Modi and BJP president Amit Shah) are the biggest danger for the country. Voting for the BJP is a vote for them... The Shiv Sena is in an alliance, so casting your mandate for them also translates into a vote for them (Modi and Shah)," he charged in his first direct attack on the Sena during his campaign. Thackeray claimed that Modi's re-election would lead to dictatorship supplanting democracy. "It is being alleged that Sharad Pawar is instigating me. Have I come into politics today? They have no replies to my questions," said Raj, while accusing Modi of lying through his term in office. Replying to the BJP's criticism that he had spoken against the Congress- NCP in the past, the MNS chief said this was because the Congress was in power then. "They were nalayak (useless) so you came to power. But, you have turned out to be more nalayak. Is there a competition between you two?" he asked. Raj also played videos of Modi criticising Pawar during the 2014 Lok Sabha campaign and later praising him and asked the BJP to respond. Showing a photo, which he said was uploaded by the BJP IT cell on Facebook claiming that a family had been uplifted from poverty, he produced the family on stage and said the picture had been used from social media without their consent. Pointing to how the BJP was in a retreat as results of recent state assembly polls had revealed, Raj said the support of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani for Congress candidate Deora, was sending out a message that "the BJP government is on its way out and Modi will not be the prime minister again." Criticising Modi for his dalliance with his then Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, the MNS president despite his "56-inch chest" claims, the highest number of jawans were killed in his tenure and the number of rapes had reached a record high. Accusing Modi of trying to milk the Pulwama attacks and Balakot air strikes for political gains, he charged that agencies like ED and CBI were being used to settle political scores. This is Raj's seventh public meeting during the Lok Sabha campaign. Though Raj is not canvassing openly for the Congress and NCP, the MNS' call to vote for candidates to defeat the BJP and Shiv Sena may benefit the principal opposition parties.

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