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Updated March 18th, 2019 at 06:42 IST

Raj Thackeray's MNS not to contest Lok Sabha polls 2019

Raj Thackeray-led MNS, which is struggling to stay relevant in the state politics, would not contest next month's Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra.

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Raj Thackeray-led MNS, which is struggling to stay relevant in the state politics, would not contest next month's Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra. An MNS leader said party president Raj Thackeray would make his political position clear on March 19 in a public meeting, and guide the party cadres.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), founded in 2006 by Raj Thackeray after he fell out with Shiv Sena patriarch and his uncle Bal Thackeray, reached its zenith in 2009 assembly elections when it won 13 out of total 288 seats.

The party was also said to be responsible for the defeat of Shiv Sena candidates in Mumbai and its metropolitan region, apparently due to the division of Marathi votes. However, the party lost the momentum gradually. Though it never won a Lok Sabha seat, in 2014 elections it was blown away during the Narendra Modi wave.

In the assembly elections held that year, the MNS won only one seat in Maharashtra. Recently, that lone MLA from Junnar in Pune district has joined the Shiv Sena.

READ: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Joins BJP's 'chowkidar' Social Media Poll Campaign

In the Bruhanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections held in 2017, the tally of MNS was reduced to seven seats. In October, 2017, six of its corporators defected to Shiv Sena, thus taking its representation down to one seat.

"MNS chief Raj Thackeray will make his political line clear on Tuesday," said the MNS leader.

Ahead of Lok Sabha elections next month, the MNS was trying hard to piggyback the Congress-NCP alliance, but was cold-shouldered by the Congress, which opposes the violent "Marathi manoos" politics of the Raj Thackeray-led party.

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP had also reportedly offered its support to MNS candidate in Kalyan Lok Sabha constituency, but the party decided not to contest the elections. 

Lok Sabha 2019 elections to all the 48 seats in the state of Maharashtra would be held in four phases between April 11 and April 29. The counting of votes will take place on May 23. 

READ: National Approval Ratings: After BJP-Shiv Sena Alliance, NDA Is Predicted To Make A Clean Sweep In Maharashtra, UPA Falls Far Behind

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Published March 18th, 2019 at 06:27 IST

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