Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma
Public rallies addressed by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray are proving to be a major headache for the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena alliance. The two parties had braced themselves for a contest against the Nationalist Congress Party-Congress combine. However, with the entry of the MNS, their situation has become similar to that student who has prepared for an examination but at the last moment finds themselves in the soup as a new chapter gets added to the syllabus.
Raj Thackeray’s Campaign Style
Taking a different approach from other leaders in the country, Raj Thackeray in his rallies appears to be in direct conversation with the public. There is a also a blend of corporate style in his speech delivery.
He uses powerpoint presentations and videos in his rallies to mount attack on PM Modi. Through this videos, Thackeray ‘exposes the lies and false promises’ of PM Modi.
A few days ago, during a rally in Mumbai’s Bhandup, Thackeray played a clip in which PM Modi can be seen making promises to build a toilet in every household. Thackeray then says that this scheme of PM Modi, has not been successful. He juxtaposes Modi’s clip with a video clip of women who claim that they still have to travel long distance for defecation.
Using these videos, Thackeray claims that he is unmasking the lies of PM Modi.
Thackeray’s ‘Lava Re Video...’ Campaign Cry
Thackeray seems to be dropping ‘video bombs’ on the BJP and Modi one rally after the other. After his rallies, his dialogue ‘Lava re video...’ (Play the video) has become famous. This means that before every rally, the opponents get tensed and worried thinking which video is Thackeray going to 'debunk’ today.
Raj Thackeray has also done a fact check about Harisal, the ‘first digital village’ of Maharashtra. He also invited a youth who had featured in one of the government ads for Harisal, on his campaign stage.
Fact-Checking in Public Rallies
A few days ago, Raj Thackeray invited a family on his stage. This family had featured on a Facebook page called ‘Modi for India.’
The photo had a caption that read, “Modi hai to mumkin hai. Pichle 3 saal me 7.5 crore log garibi rekha se upar aaye.” (If Modi is there, it is possible. In last 3 years, more than 7.5 crore people have been lifted above the poverty line). Thackeray showed this photo on the rally and then invited the family in the photo on the stage.
The family claims that they have no clue about the post. In fact, this photo was clicked in 2013 and was published in The New York Times at that time. Thackeray does live fact-checking.
Strategy to Beat BJP Without Contesting Election
Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena may not be contesting elections, but he is holding rallies all across Maharashtra. In these rallies, he is neither seeking votes for a candidate, nor is he seeking support for a party. He has openly declared that he wouldn’t have any issues if a certain party benefits from his rallies. His motive is clear: Remove Modi-Shah duo from power at all costs.
(The story was originally published on Quint Hindi and has been translated by Anubhav Mishra)
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