Raj Thackeray led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is staring at a major defeat in the state assembly elections, if early trends are to be believed.
Its performance in the assembly poll coming five months after it scored a duck in the general election raises a question on the future of the party led by Raj who revolted against the inimitable Bala Saheb in 2005.
The party which won 12 seats in the 2009 assembly elections was contesting on 219 seats this time. However, on Sunday the MNS is leading on only 4 seats and has won Junnar constituency in Pune district.
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According to the early trends, the party may not be able to hold its previous seats from Mumbai and Nasik, where majority of its present MLAs were trailing. The party has not even succeeded in keeping its ‘Marathi’ vote bank intact, indicate early trends.
Prior to the elections, party chief Raj Thackeray had published his much awaited ‘Blue Print’ for the development of Maharashtra. The party had showcased the document as the roadmap for state’s further development. Mr. Thackeray had also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to not work as Gujarat’s PM, but to concentrate on whole of India.
However, none of it seems to have worked in Mr. Thackeray’s favour. Party’s senior most MLA from Mumbai’s Sewri constituency, Bala Nandgaonkar was trailing against the Shiv Sena, while all of its four MLAs from Nashik were trailing.
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