Lok Sabha Polls 2019: Raj Thackeray gets permission to hold election rally in Mumbai

Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has been given the permission to hold a rally in Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency next week. Poll authorities had reportedly denied permission to the rally earlier. The Mumbai city district election office said that it had set up a single-window clearance system for giving permission to election campaigning for all candidates.

“Permissions to hold election meetings are given after following a due procedure. It is ensured that there is no injustice to anyone. The permission to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has been given after following a due procedure,” the election office said in a statement.

Though the MNS is not contesting the elections this time, Thackeray has been holding rallies across Maharashtra appealing to people to vote against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The BJP and its ally the Shiv Sena are accusing the MNS chief of campaigning against them at the behest of the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). In Mumbai South constituency, Shiv Sena’s sitting MP Arvind Sawant is pitted against Mumbai Congress president Milind Deora.

Mumbai goes to polls on April 29 and Thackeray is slated to address rallies in Mumbai and suburbs.