MNS, in its 11th year, faces its worst crisis

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena turns 11 on Thursday, but a party once seen as a kingmaker is now a minor irritant in state politics.

Its very existence has been called into question after a series of lacklustre performances.political analysts blame its chief Raj Thackeray. “Raj has not presented a political programme to the masses and has belied all expectations they have reposed on him,”said Surendra Jondhale, an eminent political commentator. He pointed out that when Raj began in 2006, he was a promising leader who would fill in the vacuum left by the Opposition. “But he neither built a strong organisation, nor did he put in place a second line of leadership unlike

founder), his mentor.” The party now has seven corporators in BMC, as against 28 the previous term. In the Maharashtra Assembly, there is just one MNS legislator compared to 13 in 2009 In

with 40 seats, it now has three.

Experts also blame Raj for being caught in the past, focusing solely on the “sons of soil issue”. “Raj should realise the youth has become cosmopolitan Their

no longer have a parochial approach,” said Prakash Bal, an eminent political analyst. “Raj is not seen as a serious politician as he has squandered his mandate.”

Raj was the top leader in the eray’s successor. So where did the problems begin? Experts believe it was when Bal Thack eray started promoting his son Uddhav. In 2005, Raj left the party and, the very next year, started his own. His debut election in 2007 was a disaster, he could win just 7 seats. Many said then the party was dead. But he gained strength in 2008, when he aggressively pursued the sons-of-the-soi agenda. Raj dented the SENA-BJP votebank. But in 2014 parliamen tary and Assembly polls, the Modi wave swept MNS away. Top leaders such as Pravin Darekar Ram Kadam and Vasant Gite left to join BJP. MNS leader Nitin Sardesai, however, said MNS would bounce back. “Every party has its ups and downs. If America is talking of sons of soil, how is it not relevant here? We are at the very worst Things can only get