After skipping Lok Sabha elections, Raj Thackeray's MNS may not contest Maharashtra Assembly polls
Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) may not contest in the upcoming Maharashtra polls. Citing sources, Times Now channel reported that voices within the party have told MNS chief Raj Thackeray that the party may not be ready to contest the Assembly polls in the state.
According to reports, a section of MNS leaders told Thackeray that his party was not in a position to contest the forthcoming Assembly polls in the state.
According to reports, some leaders within the party were of the view that the MNS should back out given that other political parties such as Congress and NCP have been witnessing turmoil and defections.
According to insiders, Thackeray has not taken any decision regarding not contesting the polls. Party sources also suggested that MNS functionaries working at grassroots levels were of the view that contesting polls is critical to holding the party cadre together.
In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, Thackeray addressed massive rallies and campaigned extensively against the BJP-led government. And while his one-liners combined with massive digital displays managed to pull crowds, the turnout did not translate into votes. While the BJP- Shiv Sena combine managed to bag 41 of the 48 seats.
While NCP bagged four seats, the Congress party was reduced to just one Lok Sabha seat. Thackeray held 11 rallies in the state including three in Mumbai. The NCP- Congress combine, however, did not get a single seat in the city.
More recently, Thackeray was also grilled by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged case of money laundering in the Kohinoor Mill matter. Reports also suggested that the likely indicators for contesting polls — organising party cadres, review of seats and candidates in the run up to elections — have not yet taken place, which points towards a likely refrainment from contesting polls.
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