The MNS party has put up hoardings in Gujarati in Ghatkopar, urging the community members to join the party. After targeting the Gujarati community in the past few years, the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in a U-turn is now wooing the community members its latest enrolment drive, inaugurated by the party chief on Sunday.

Currently, Gujaratis play an important role in the politics of Mumbai, and enjoy substantial numbers in areas such as Ghatkopar, Walkeshwar, Borivli, Kandivli, Mulund and Goregaon. They are strong supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and hence, the Congress, Sena and MNS are trying to woo them to their fold.

The campaign is the brainchild of MNS-party’s Cine Workers’ Association office bearer Bharat Bhanushali, who has taken the initiative in Ghatkopar’s Pant Nagar area.

Defending the move, Ameya Khopkar, the cine association’s head, said that it was imperative to attract the Gujarati community members.

“Bhanushali is a Gujarati who lives in an area dominated by the community. He has campaigned in Gujarati to attract the community members to our party fold. I do not think there is anything wrong with this,” said Khopkar.

When Khopkar was asked about party members ransacking shops having Gujarati signboards, he said that MNS continues to oppose them.

“We are firm on having Marathi signboards, but this is about the party’s enrolment drive,” said Khopkar.

Thackeray had objected to Gujarati signboards posted outside hotels on highways during his Gudi Padwa speech in 2018. Following this, MNS workers had vandalised signboards of at least six hotels in Vasai, as they were in Gujarati. The incident had sent shockwaves among the community members.

“On the one hand they hate Gujaratis and spare no opportunity to hurt them, and on the other, indulge in such campaigns. Our community will never support MNS,” said Shah.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Hemraj Shah, who had launched party’s ‘Mumbai ma jalebi fafda, Uddhav Thackeray aapda’ campaign to woo Gujarati voters, said that the community members “will not fall prey to MNS”.