MNS gears up to fight solo in municipal polls

Raj Thackeray. File Pic

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Wednesday asked the party leaders to prepare for a solo fight in the forthcoming municipal elections.
He met the party workers and told them that the polls were likely to be held in April this year.

It was learnt that the MNS president will sensitise the rank and file by holding a series of meetings. Apart from Mumbai, the MNS has a political interest in Thane, Nashik, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and MMR cities. Leaders from these cities attended the meeting at MIG Club on Wednesday. The possibility of the MNS joining hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party has been discussed in the past, but the parties have maintained that they will prefer no pre-poll alliance.

Party leader Sandeep Deshpande said the elections management, social media planning, selection of candidates and several other topics were discussed with the chief. "Raj saheb has given us directives to fight the polls independently. The MVA government, which is in deep slumber, is our election plank," he said.

According to Deshpande, the restructuring of Mumbai's electoral wards cannot change the public perception of the Shiv Sena. "People are not with the Sena. Are Marathis and Hindus with the Sena? People suffered a lot during the pandemic," he said, adding that the efforts of devaluing Mumbai have not succeeded in the past 150 years.