MNS joining Mahayuti likely to help BJP in Pune
As MNS is likely to join hands with BJP, it is likely to help the latter in the Pune Lok Sabha seat, said political observers
Pune: As the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is likely to join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), it is likely to help the latter in the Pune Lok Sabha seat, said political observers.
During the last three assembly elections, MNS received sizeable votes in the city.
MNS has considerable presence in three Maharashtra cities, including Mumbai, Nashik and Pune.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, MNS did not contest, but campaigned against the BJP. But in 2014, former MLA Deepak Paigude was an MNS candidate for Pune Lok Sabha and received 93,503 votes. In 2014, MNS’s Rajnjeet Shirole got 75,930 votes with majority share of youngsters and supporters of saffron parties.
During the 2029 assembly election, MNS candidate Kishor Shinde had given a close fight to Maharashtra minister and BJP’s senior leader Chandrakant Patil in Kothrud seat.
Existing Kasba assembly MLA Ravindra Dhangekar was also a former MNS leader. He fought a close fight against late Girish Bapat. MNS leader Vasant More also received sizeable votes in the Hadapsar assembly constituency.
“The data points to MNS vote bank in Pune city and mainly in Pune Lok Sabha constituency. As Raj Thackeray has decided to join the Mahayuti, it will help the BJP and its alliance in Pune,” said political observers.
