MNS averse to alliance, to contest Assembly elections solo

Mumbai: Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena will contest forthcoming elections on its own without forging any alliance, a senior party leader said on Sunday.

"If political parties truly want to develop Maharashtra, they should contest elections independently and not go in for any kind of alliance. But do these parties have the courage to face the truth and go in without an alliance?. MNS will contest the elections independently," said senior party leader Bala Nandgaonkar.

Nandgaonkar's statement assumes significance given the political scenario in the state in run-up to elections. MNS recently took help of Congress and NCP to win Mayoral elections in Nashik, after its ally in the Nashik Municipal Corporation, the BJP snapped ties.

He said that MNS will start interviewing aspiring candidates from Marathwada region for the October 15 polls from tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Raj, who is on a two-day visit to Aurangabad, on Sunday interacted with his party workers and will be interviewing aspiring candidates of 46 constituencies in the Marathwada region on Monday.

"We will be interviewing aspiring candidates from 46 constituencies in Marathwada region. We will also be calling candidates from Dhule, Jalgaon and Nandurbar region for interviewing them," Nandgaonkar said.

He added that "true development" of Maharashtra can happen only when all the parties fight elections on their own, rather than forming an alliance.

Referring to internal fighting between alliance partners like Sena-BJP and Congress-NCP ahead of polls, Nandgaonkar said that such feuds will dent the image of political parties in the minds of voters.

"If Sena is fighting with BJP and Congress with NCP before polls, it will dent their image in the mind of people. People will wonder what kind of development such alliances can give Maharashtra," he said.

MNS fared poorly in Lok Sabha elections with all its candidates from ten seats losing their deposit. The party polled mere 0.13 per cent votes.

In 2009 Assembly elections, MNS had contested 143 seats and won 13.