Thane, Dec. 31 -- The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has announced its entry into the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) elections, fielding 28 candidates it describes as "educated Marathis" to directly challenge the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the polls scheduled for January 15.
The candidates, led by district president Avinash Jadhav, filed their nomination papers on Tuesday. The MNS is positioning itself as a champion of Marathi identity in the city.
The election sets the stage for a three-cornered contest among the Mahayuti (BJP Shinde Sena), the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA - comprising Shiv Sena-UBT and NCP Sharad Pawar group), and the MNS. A significant sub-plot is the electoral reunion of the Thackeray cousins-Raj (MNS) and ...