MNS aims to become largest party

After putting up a good show in the Assembly polls, MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s brief to the strategists of his party is clear: to become the single largest party by 2014. To achieve this endeavour, the party will be focusing its energies on the 77 constituencies where its candidates got more than 10,000 votes in the recent elections.

The goal was finalised after the party’s internal assessment of the poll outcome. An MNS official who spoke to DNA described some of the findings. “We contested in 144 constituencies. In 77 constituencies, our candidates secured more than 10,000 votes. And out of these, 52 constituencies are in the urban belt, while the remaining 25 are in rural areas,” the official said. The assessment also showed how the MNS stalled Shiv Sena’s chances in the polls. “We stalled Sena’s show in 20 constituencies, BJP’s in 11, NCP’s in four, Congress’ in three and others in one constituency”.