After drubbing, MNS close to losing symbol

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray has a huge challenge of resurrecting his party’s fortunes after it won only one seat in the recent Maharashtra Assembly polls. 

Eight years have passed since he walked out of the Shiv Sena following differences with cousin Uddhav.

Having won just one seat, Raj is now in  danger of losing his party symbol —the railway engine. The MNS leader, however, is yet to speak in public about the defeat, though his associates privately admit that the party failed to communicate effectively with voters. 

His close aides—Bala Nandgaonkar, Nitin Sardesai, Pravin Darekar and Shishir Shinde—lost the elections. The only silver lining for the party was the victory of Sharad Sonawane from the Junner constituency. 

The party has been wiped out in Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Nashik, the state’s four important urban centres. 

“We discussed various issues vis-a-vis results. I am sure Raj-saheb would be addressing you on these issues,” Nandgaonkar said earlier this week after meeting Raj.

On losing the party symbol, a senior leader said: “We performed well in the past when there was no symbol. So our focus is to come out of the defeat and work with renewed vigour. In a couple of years from now, there will be elections to corporations. We will work for that.”