At a recent party meeting in Mumbai, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Chief Raj Thackeray announced that the MNS would contest the upcoming Assembly elections independently, despite previously extending support to the NDA during the Lok Sabha elections. Following the Mahayuti alliance's poor performance in the Lok Sabha polls, Thackeray decided to field MNS candidates in 225–250 out of the total 288 assembly seats in the state.
Raj Thackeray emphasized the party's preparations, stating, "We are preparing for nearly 225 to 250 seats out of a total of 288 assembly seats in the state." He also appointed a team of five leaders in each constituency to identify potential candidates and plans to embark on a Maharashtra tour starting August 1 to address meetings and gather feedback from party workers.
MNS leader Sandip Deshpande explained the party's decision to contest alone, citing the lack of consensus among the Mahayuti alliance's constituent parties (BJP, Shiv Sena Shinde camp, and NCP Ajit Pawar camp) on seat sharing. "There does not seem to be a consensus between the constituent parties on seat sharing yet," Deshpande noted.
Opposition parties criticized the MNS for its changing political stance. Anand Dubey, spokesperson of Sena (UBT), questioned Thackeray's intentions, saying, "Raj Thackeray supported the NDA in Lok Sabha and is now going solo in Vidhan Sabha. He seems to be confused and needs to clarify what he really wants to say."
Sanjay Shirsat, MLA and spokesperson of Shinde's Shiv Sena, urged the MNS to join the Mahayuti alliance for the Assembly polls, highlighting that seat sharing distribution had not yet been finalized and a proposal to the MNS could be made once senior leaders made a decision.
Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar expressed his desire to contest 80 to 90 seats in the upcoming state polls, while Shinde's Sena aims for nearly 100 seats, and the BJP is determined to contest 160 to 170 seats out of the 288. In this context, the MNS has decided to review and contest the maximum number of seats independently.
The move raises questions about whether the MNS's ambitious plan will disrupt the political dynamics of the BJP and Shinde. With common Marathi and Hindutva agendas among the three parties, the potential division of the vote bank poses a significant challenge for the ruling alliance.
