Confusion reigns at MNS with Lok Sabha, state polls nearing

Raj held talks with NCP, say aides; plans to dent Shiv Sena by grabbing Marathi vote

MUMBAI: With the Lok Sabha elections just a few months away, the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) seems to be in a state of confusion over seats, constituencies and alliances. According to Thackeray’s close aides, he recently held talks with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and demanded four to five seats be left for him. MNS is also deliberating the constituencies it can win if supported directly by the NCP or indirectly by the Congress.

According to party leaders, there also seems to be an understanding that the Shiv Sena will ultimately tie up with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The MNS is thus, also looking at what role it can play to damage the Bjpsena’s plans, especially in the Mumbai-thane-pune belt.

According to an MNS leader, the party chief has been in serious talks with Pawar. “We have asked for seats where we have strong influence. More than the Lok Sabha polls, our main focus is on assembly elections. We need to protect our vote bank,” said the leader, requesting anonymity. The MNS has reportedly asked for Mumbai North-east, Thane, Kalyan and Nashik seats from the NCP —constituencies where the party still has some base.

Additionally, MNS has also offered to field candidates from a couple of constituencies as part of its strategy to damage Sena by cutting into Marathi votes. In 2009, MNS had walked away with a sizeable share of votes from Mumbai, Thane and Nashik, which had led to the defeat of BJPSENA candidates there. It had turned out to be an advantage for the Congress-ncp who had won all six seats in Mumbai and some in Thane, Nashik and Pune districts. An NCP leader said roping in Thackeray will be beneficial for the Congress-ncp alliance. “Thackeray is still a charismatic leader who has a large youth following. We also need to keep him