The simmering discontent in the Raj Thackeray-led MNS has burst into the open following mass resignations by office-bearers, including former legislator Vasant Gite, in its former stronghold of Nashik.
The mass resignations of the MNS office-bearers, including Gite, district chief of the party Sachin Thakare, and women wing's chief Sujata Dere, on Tuesday came after a large crowd gathered around the MNS office Rajgadh in Nashik.
Coming on the back of the nativist party's electoral washout, which saw its tally in the assembly plummet from 13 in 2009 to just one now, these resignations are said to be a result of anger over the party leadership's functioning.
The MNS controls the Nashik civic body. Gite was said to be upset at attempts to restrain his authority but denied he was on his way to the BJP. However BJP regional secretary Vijay Sane said some MNS members were likely to join their party.
In his recent visit to Jaikhede in Ahmednagar, Raj Thackeray had said 'the reasons for the failure in the elections were not related to party but were external', and he would speak about it at a later time.
MNS leaders admit that the inability to take the agitation against toll-collection to its logical end, a weak party organisation and absence of a credible programme for cadre are reasons for the party's sudden decline. The party was seen as relying too much on the charisma of Raj rather than on any ground-level work.
But in reality there is nothing that the party or Raj Thackeray could have done in this election after the BJP and the Shiv Sena split and fought separately. There was just no political space for a party that at various times has been anti-north Indian, anti-Muslim, anti-Gujarati, and also often advocated a sons-of-the-soil policy. Shiv Sena too had a similar plank and so why would anyone vote for its shadow version? To survive, the MNS may have to reposition itself with a focus on farmers and weaker sections, some of its leaders feel. That is not easy with the BJP on the war-path to demolish regional parties. MNS is now facing a dead-end.
Ironically, in 2009, the Shiv Sena and BJP had been hit badly by the MNS in around 66 of 288 seats. This time, a majority of MNS nominees forfeited their security deposits. The Lok Sabha results in which the MNS lost all 10 seats it contested were perhaps a sign of the times to come, some of its leaders admit.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}