This, MNS workers feel, will check the electoral down-slide of the party, which has seen its seat share in the BMC fall to just seven compared to 28 in the 2012 polls
The changing demographics of the city has led to MNS activists suggesting that the Raj Thackeray-led sons of soil outfit must broaden its political base to reach out to other linguistic groups. This, MNS workers feel, will check the electoral down-slide of the party, which has seen its seat share in the BMC fall to just seven compared to 28 in the 2012 polls.
On Thursday, senior MNS leaders discussed reasons for the party’s debacle with Thackeray. A senior MNS leader said that they had discussed the reasons for the party’s defeat and the way ahead with cadre in all 36 assembly constituencies in Mumbai. “The prime reason for our debacle was the decision of the Sena and the BJP to contest elections sans an alliance. This polarised the political space between the two with the Maharashtrians choosing to support the Sena,” the senior leader added.
Traditional Maharashtrian areas like Girgaum and Parel- Lalbaug have seen a steady and significant influx of non-Maharashtrian voters. He, however, added that Thackeray had refused to compromise on the Maharashtrian, sons-of-soil agendas to reach out to an auxiliary constituency. MNS leader and former MLA Bala Nandgaonkar said that Thackeray will soon hold meetings with workers from all six Lok Sabha constituencies and added that action will be taken against party leaders and cadre who had rebelled or worked against the interests of official candidates in the recent civic polls.
In the 2012 BMC elections, the MNS had won 28 seats, up from seven in 2007, and had also rubbed salt into the Shiv Sena’s wounds by winning all civic wards in the Dadar- Mahim belt, where the Sena was born in 1966. The party has also been hit by desertions in its ranks with former legislators and senior leaders choosing to ditch the party for greener pastures.
THE DOWNFALL
- In the 2012 BMC polls, the MNS had won 28 seats, up from seven in 2007
- The seat share fell to just seven compared to 28 in the 2012 polls
- The bench strength in the state assembly too has fallen to just one from 13 in 2009
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