Before the 2014 assembly elections, MNS changed the direction of the engine towards the left, and suffered a landslide defeat in the polls.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray has, for the third time, changed the party symbol. While the symbol continues to be a railway engine, ahead of the BMC polls, its direction has been changed from left to right, said a party source. However, the change is yet to be updated with the Election Commission of India. Another source claimed that a political “guru”, Indore’s Bhaiyyu Maharaj has suggested that Raj change the direction of the engine in the party symbol. Bhaiyyu Maharaj however denied giving any suggestion in this regard and said that he hasn’t met Raj in the past 10 days.
A MNS insider on condition of anonymity said, “MNS won 13 seats in the state Assembly and 29 seats in the BMC election using the same symbol with the direction of the engine from left to right. However, after the BMC polls and before the 2014 assembly elections, MNS changed the direction of the engine towards the left and experienced a landslide defeat in the assembly.”
The insider said that the Assembly strength reduced to one from 13. “Some leaders of the party connected the defeat with change in direction of the party symbol and thus, recently, it was changed back to the original which means the face will be towards the right,” he said.
The changed symbol was recently used at the MNS meeting before Diwali at Yashwant Natya Mandir, Matunga, where Raj addressed party functionaries. Shrish Sawant, a MNS official who handles party administration affairs said, “The direction of the symbol is not officially changed. Party workers use the symbol as per their convenience.”
Asked whether the party had informed the Election Commission of India about change in direction for the second time since formation of MNS, Mr Sawant said, “Once the party gets its election symbol, it is in the party's discriminatory power how to use it and which direction must be accepted.”
Mr Sawant rubbished claims of any astrological angle behind the change in direction of the engine. He also said that the party would not inform or register the change with the Election Commission.
