Over 150 functionaries of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s Nashik district unit, including president Sachin Thakre, and secretaries Vasant Gite and Atul Chandak, submitted their resignations on Monday. After scoring a duck in the May general election, the MNS bagged just one seat in an Assembly of 288 members as opposed to the 13 it had won in the 2009 Assembly polls.
According to sources in Nashik, Mr. Gite is said to be in talks with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Mr. Gite’s move comes just days ahead of MNS chairman Raj Thackeray’s tour of Nashik, due to commence on November 5. Mr. Thackeray’s visit is to rally the party together after its rout in the polls.
Less than a fortnight ago, Pravin Darekar, a close associate of Mr. Thackeray, resigned from the party blaming Mr. Thackeray’s leadership style for the abysmal performance.
“Frustrated political ambitions appear to be the main cause. A lot of loyal workers have been demoralised by the poll drubbing,” says an MNS functionary from Nashik.
The move is all the more disconcerting as the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) is the only civic body in the State where the MNS has any influence left, with an MNS corporator heading it.
“We would certainly welcome them [the MNS rebels] into our party. A lot of good workers from other parties have expressed their desire to work with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis,” says BJP MLA Girish Mahajan.
In 2012, the MNS bagged the mayor’s post in the 122-member NMC with the BJP’s support.
This year, with the BJP withdrawing support, the MNS managed to retain the mayoral post only with the backing of the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress. The party has 39 seats in the NMC.
