Setback for Raj Thackeray: MNS may lose recognition after failing to win any seat in Maharashtra

Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) faces the possibility of losing its status as a recognised political party and its reserved railway engine election symbol following a poor performance in the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections. The party failed to win a single seat, including that of Raj Thackeray's son Amit Thackeray, and secured only 1.8% of the vote share.

Under the Election Commission guidelines, a party must meet specific criteria to retain recognition and a reserved symbol. Former Maharashtra legislature secretary Anant Kalse explained these conditions during an informal media interaction. "To maintain recognition, a party must either win at least one seat and secure 8% of the total vote share, or win two seats with 6% votes, or win three seats with 3% votes. The Election Commission can revoke the party's recognition if none of these conditions are met," Kalse said.

Given the MNS' failure to meet these benchmarks, the ECI may take action. "The Election Commission is an independent body and may take a decision on the matter. It could send a notice to the MNS and cancel its recognition," Kalse added. If recognition is revoked, the party would lose its reserved railway engine symbol and be required to choose an unreserved one for future elections. However, the party's name would remain unaffected.

This election marked the first time since the MNS entered politics in 2009 that it failed to win a single assembly seat. In its debut, the party won 13 seats. It managed only one seat each in the 2014 and 2019 polls. 

Raj Thackeray, reacting to the outcome, described the results as "unbelievable" in a brief statement shared on social media. The setback is likely to impact the MNS's visibility and voter appeal, especially if it loses recognition and its iconic election symbol.