MNS is planning to field candidates in around 250 seats in the assembly polls, the ambivalence over party chief Raj Thackeray contesting polls not withstanding.
In 2009, MNS contested 143 seats and won in 13. The party which damaged the prospects of Shiv Sena and BJP by eating into their natural vote base in around 66 segments, had contested 34 of the 36 seats in Mumbai (barring Bandra West and Mumbadevi).
"We are willing to contest all 288 seats, but may field candidates only in about 250," a senior MNS leader told dna, adding the number would "certainly exceed 225."
In Lok Sabha polls, MNS contested in 10 seats, including three in Mumbai, but its candidates forfeited security deposits in all, leading to panic and disillusionment in its ranks.
This drubbing is a far cry from the 2009 LS polls when MNS contested in 12 and engineered the defeat of Sena-BJP in nine constituencies, including five in Mumbai. Sena on the contrary won its highest ever tally of 18 seats despite MNS directly opposing it in eight.
"Contesting in more seats will help us sharpen focus, take our party to the masses and also rope in leaders from outside," another MNS leader said.
"In Lok Sabha polls, people were furious at the Congress and the battle was projected as one between Modi and Rahul Gandhi," said the MNS leader, trying to explain the MNS debacle. "Like Modi, people will vote for Raj Thackeray in Maharashtra," he added.
MNS may not ally with any party this time though it may get into informal seat-sharing arrangements like in 2009, when it supported then minister Vinay Kore Sawkar's Jana Surajya Shakti (JSS), which has base in Kolhapur. In Lok Sabha polls, Raj had supported Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) nominees Laxman Jagtap (Maval) and Ramesh Kadam (Raigad).
Despite the bravado, MNS loyalists admit all is not well with the party. Its strength in the assembly came down to 11 with the death of MLA Ramesh Wanjale (Khadakwasla) and Kannad MLA Harshavardhan Jadhav joining Sena. BJP wrested Khadakwasla in the by-poll.
In June, Raj had announced he would contest assembly polls and would be party's CM nominee, but later admitted to a re-think.
According to MNS activists, the problems facing the party are: weak organisation, absence of credible programme for the cadre, and the paradox of encashing anti-establishment vote which eventually helps Cong-NCP. Critics also say Raj had been unable to take agitations like the one against toll to their logical end.
){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}