MNS list for Thane sparks row

The list of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) candidates for the municipal elections in Thane declared on Sunday has sparked row with many loyalists who were denied tickets coming out in open and attacking the party leadership.

The MNS on Sunday announced names of 115 of its candidates which include 55 women while no names have been suggested for 15 seats.

The party's headquarters in Thane where the names were declared by the city unit president Hari Mali turned out to be a battle ground when the loyal MNS activists found their names missing from the list of candidates.

One of them, advocate Sammer Deshpande who shouted at the top of his voice said that he had given blood for the party and what he got in return was a betrayal.

In the list released today, most of the candidates are not that well educated. 23 of the 115 candidates are not even matriculates and only 16 are graduates. One candidate Sumen Gulzar Hazi Mian is educated only upto 2nd standard.