'It wasn't for money, we wanted our MLAs back'

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) today rejected the Shiv Sena’s allegations that it voted for the ruling Congress-NCP alliance government’s candidates in return for money in the June 10 election to the state legislative council.

The MNS said the decision to support the Congress-NCP was taken so that the suspension of four of its legislators could be revoked at the earliest. The MNS legislators were suspended in November last year for attacking Samajwadi Party member Abu Azmi in the legislative assembly as he took his membership oath in Hindi.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray said it was important for him to send the four suspended legislators back to the Assembly as they were elected by lakhs of voters. It would be injustice to their constituencies if they remained out of the House, he said.

Raj sharply attacked the Shiv Sena and asked it to “mind its own business”. The Shiv Sena, one of whose candidates lost narrowly in the June 10 poll, has been criticising Raj since then.

Raj said, “My party is an independent entity and the Shiv Sena should not tell me what to do. Why are we being blamed if they lost the council polls?”

Terming the Shiv Sena’s criticism of his party as “unnecessary”, Raj said it was the Shiv Sena’s habit to blame others for their defeat. “After the Assembly poll defeat (in 2009), the Shiv Sena blamed the Marathi ‘manoos’ and now they are blaming my party. They never accept their mistakes. Why did they field a second candidate in the June 10 council polls when they did not have sufficient votes?” he asked.

MNS’ candid admission has, however, increased the Congress’ worries. The latter has been distancing itelf from the migrant-attacking MNS to avoid an embarrassment at the national level, as elections in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are due soon. Chief minister Ashok Chavan and state party chief Manikrao Thakre said the party had not sought support from the MNS. Any decision on revocation of suspension of the MNS legislators would be taken by the Business Advisory Committee of the state assembly, the two said.

Raj questioned the Shiv Sena’s stand on supporting the NCP in the Pune Municipal Corporation elections. “Did Sena get money to support the NCP in Pune despite fighting the elections with their ally, the BJP?” he asked.

He also asked why the Sena, which he left in 2005 to float his own outfit, was silent over MNS support to them in the municipal council polls in Ambernath in adjoining Thane.

On his stand, he said, “No one is my friend or enemy in politics. I am not bound to anyone and would do things for the good of my party and Marathi people.”

Raj recalled how in the past the Sena had helped “outside” candidates like Congress leader Murli Deora, who became the mayor of Mumbai with its support.

The MNS chief also questioned the Sena’s support to businessman Rajkumar Dhoot and poet-journalist Pritish Nandy in Rajya Sabha polls and Lalchand Rathod in state council elections in the past. “Were these people any social activists that Sena supported them?” he asked.