Trouble for MNS as 6 corporators join Sena

MUMBAI:Six of seven corporators of Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) joined Shiv Sena on Friday, giving the party, which rules Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), an edge over BJP.

With this, Shiv Sena’s strength in BMC — India’s richest municipal body — has increased to 90, eight more than that of BJP, a Sena leader said.

Of late, relations between the Sena and BJP, which are in alliance at the Centre and in Maharashtra, have been strained.

MNS corporators Dilip Lande, Archana Bhalerao, Snehal More, Datta Narvankar, Parashuram Kadam and Ashwini Matekar joined the Sena in presence of its chief Uddhav Thackeray.

Addressing the media, Uddhav, in an apparent reference to the fact that the MNS is an offshoot of Shiv Sena, said nobody should accuse the Sena of “poaching” as this was homecoming. “Poaching took place in Arunachal Pradesh and Goa. Today, it was only Ghar Wapsi,” he said, adding there was no ulterior motive behind the move.

“They (BJP) must have realised our strength now after seeing what can we do in one day,” Uddhav said.

Lande, one of the six corporator, said the main reason behind joining the Sena was “the BJP’s plan to oust the Marathi mayor from his post”.

“We joined the Sena for the welfare of the Marathi people,” he said.

Sena leader Anil Parab said he has written a letter to the Konkan division commissioner, informing him about the induction of six MNS corporators. MNS spokesperson Avinash Abhyankar said if these corporators had defected to the Sena, then “appropriate action will be initiated against them”.