In view of his growing proximity with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray’s speech at the annual Gudhi Padva rally of MNS at Shivaji Park will be heard with close attention, on Tuesday.

Recently, Thackeray was invited to meet BJP leader Amit Shah in New Delhi amid speculations that MNS would be drafted as an ally ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. It was said the two have struck a deal in which the MNS was to get a share in Lok Sabha seats and if that was not possible, it would get a Rajya Sabha or legislative council seat. Thackeray hasn’t spoken about anything yet, except for confirming the BJP’s invite. He had promised to make his stand public at the Gudhi Padva rally, for which arrangements were near complete at the iconic venue.