BMC Elections 2017: Near whitewash for MNS as it’s down to 7 seats

The BMC polls saw a near-electoral washout for the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), with the party losing almost three-fourth of its bench strength in the civic house.

The MNS won just seven seats, down from 28 in 2012, with prominent names like Santosh Dhuri and Swapna Deshpande being trounced at the hustings, indicating that it had lost ground among Maharashtrians. However, senior MNS corporator Dilip Lande managed to retain his seat in Kurla.

Ironically, the MNS did not just lose power in the Nashik civic body, which party chief Raj Thackeray was holding up as an example of his vision of development, but saw its tally dip to just three seats. It also faced massive reverses in Pune, where it had cultivated a base.

“We fell short in preparation and planning... Our cerebral and organisational integrity was dented around the 2014 polls and never came back on track. We must introspect and reorganise,” a senior MNS leader told DNA.

He admitted that MNS had seen a steady erosion in its natural catchment of support and the polarisation between the Sena and BJP had affected their chances. The party also saw an exodus of leaders, with most of its former MLAs choosing to quit for greener pastures.

“We must spread our wings wider and into smaller cities, instead of metros,” an MNS leader said, adding that they should take up issues related to deprived sections like farmers.