MNS demands 20 assembly seats from BJP

Mumbai: After giving ‘unconditional support’ to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha elections, Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has demanded 20 assembly seats from the BJP for the upcoming Vidhan Sabha polls in the state.

According to sources, one of the major seats demanded by the Raj Thackeray the Worli Assembly seat, which is currently represented by his nehew Aditya Thackeray, the son of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. Raj Thackeray’s trusted lieutenant Sandeep Deshpande is likely to be the MNS candidate from Worli.

Majority of the seats demanded by the MNS are mostly from Mumbai and Mumbai Metropolitan region (MMR).

In 2009, when it fought the assembly polls for the first time, the MNS had won 13 seats in the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha. However, they now have only one MLA in the assembly.

In the Lok Sabha polls, Raj Thackeray had announced unconditional support for Modi and also campaigned for the National Democratic Alliance’s candidates. He even shared the stage with Modi at an election rally at Shivaji Park in Mumbai last month.

However, the MNS functionaries were upset over Raj Thackeray being not invited for the swearing-in ceremony of the Modi government. The party leaders accused the BJP of neglecting the help provided by them during the Lok Sabha polls.

“The generation which knew how to build and maintain friendships no longer exists in the BJP,” MNS leader Prakash Mahajan said.

“In that party, the present practice is to come to your doorstep when you’re needed and to close the door on the face when your utility ends. They have seen the ill-effects of this in the recent Lok Sabha election,” said Prakash, brother of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan.