Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which backed the Mahayuti alliance in the Lok Sabha elections, is going solo in the assembly polls in Maharashtra. Known for his aggressive style and once seen as a potential successor to Bal Thackeray, Raj Thackeray has struggled to find lasting political success since parting ways with the Shiv Sena in 2006.
The MNS's best electoral performance came in 2009, when it won 13 of 143 contested seats. However, in the next two elections, the party could only manage a single seat each time. In 2019, the MNS secured just one seat but finished as the runner-up in 10 constituencies, signaling its potential relevance in close races this time around.
The assembly seats where MNS came second are Kothrud, Shivadi, Mahim, Ghatkopar East, Bhandup West, Mulund, Magathane, Thane, Dombivali, and Bhiwandi Rural (ST).
This year, Mahim is set to be a high-stakes contest, as Raj Thackeray’s son, Amit Thackeray, makes his electoral debut. In 2019, MNS’s Sandeep Deshpande lost Mahim to Shiv Sena’s Sada Sarvankar by nearly 20,000 votes, with Deshpande securing 42,690 votes (34.42%) to Sarvankar’s 61,337 (49.45%).
In Shivadi, the MNS also came close but lost to the Shiv Sena by a margin of nearly 40,000 votes. Kothrud was another battleground where Kishor Shinde of MNS gave a tough fight, securing 40.87% votes against BJP’s Chandrakant Patil’s 53.93%.
In Ghatkopar East, the MNS finished second but with just 15% of votes compared to the BJP's 57.70%. Similarly, in Bhandup West, the party received 26.86%, falling short against Shiv Sena's 45.17%.
In Mulund, MNS surpassed Congress but was defeated by BJP's Mihir Kotecha, who garnered 56.46%. Other close contests included Magathane, where Shiv Sena's Prakash Surve won with 59.59%, and Thane, where BJP’s Sanjay Kelkar beat MNS’s Avinash Jadhav.
In Dombivli and Bhiwandi Rural (ST), the MNS also finished second, reaffirming its influence in certain pockets.
MNS First List of Candidates
The MNS has so far announced 45 candidates, including prominent names like Sandeep Deshpande from Worli, where he will take on Aaditya Thackeray of the Shiv Sena (UBT). Amit Thackeray’s debut from Mahim is expected to be a defining moment for the party. The lone MNS MLA in the outgoing assembly, Pramod Patil, has been renominated from Kalyan Rural.