MNS puts up a poor show, may still play king-maker

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) may have only seven seats in its kitty, but it may still make the Raj Thackeray-led party the cynosure of many eyes in the city’s political scene.
There are reports that both the BJP and Shiv Sena may want to be friends with the MNS in the coming days as the two saffron parties gear up—separately of course—to form their regime in the country’s richest civic body.
The Sena is said to be keen on sending overtures to Raj Thackeray. “This is a delicious irony as Matoshree outright rejected our proposal for friendship which we made soon after the polls were announced,” said a key MNS functionary. “We will weigh all options, we are in no hurry,” he said. The MNS had proposed an informal alliance to the Sena before the elections, saying it would not field any candidates in constituencies where the Sena was strong. In return, it wanted the Sena should not field candidates in areas that had sitting MNS corporators. But the Sena had then rejected the idea.
The newly elected MNS corporators will meet Thackeray at his Bandra residence on Friday, sources said.
The party may ask for plum positions in the BMC, which may mean membership of crucial panels like the standing committee and BEST committee, sources said.
There are reports the MNS will also begin informal talks with the NCP, which figures prominently on the BJP-Sena’s wishlist, to test political waters in the BMC.
The BJP too is reportedly ready to play tango with the MNS. Sources in the Mumbai BJP said their chief, Ashish Shelar, may start informal talks with Raj Thackeray “in a day or two”. Shelar is believed to share a good equation with the MNS president.
But the MNS will have to get its act together in the wake of its dismal performance. “We have lost some of our coveted seats, especially in Dadar. We will have to revamp our organisational set up and streamline our grassroots units,” said the party functionary.