MNS' only north Indian candidate loses seat to BJP rival

Akhilesh Chaubey, a north Indian candidate fielded by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in the state assembly polls, was defeated by BJP's Atul Bhatkhalkar from Kandivali East constituency.
The MNS had caused eyebrows to raise as the party known for its anti-north Indian stand since its birth in 2006, had given candidature to Chaubey, whose roots are traced to Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh.
A lawyer by profession and general secretary of the legal cell of the Raj Thackeray-led party, Chaubey was the party's only north Indian candidate in the polls. He was also the party's first ever north Indian poll nominee so far.

Chaubey, who obtained 13,208 votes in the polls, was pushed to the fourth position, as BJP's Bhatkhalkar secured 72,427 votes, followed by Congress' Thakur Ramesh Singh (31,239) and Amol Kirtikar of Shiv Sena (23,385) in the constituency.
As general secretary of the party's legal cell, Chaubey has been at the forefront of Thackeray's legal battles following his alleged anti-migrant speeches and related violence over the years.
The MNS has registered its only victory in Pune district's Junnar seat, where its candidate Sharad Sonawane won the election. The party had secured 13 seats in the last assembly polls.