Raj Thackeray (PTI file photo) MUMBAI: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) candidate Bala Nandgaonkar has said his party chief Raj Thackeray could play a key role in "new power equations" which emerge after results of the upcoming state assembly polls. Noting Mumbai's limited land and high population density, Nandgaonkar in an interview to PTI asserted his party's stand had not been against the people from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar or other states, and their past agitation caused no harm to anyone in Shivadi constituency , from where is the MNS contestant. Both the MNS and its chief Raj Thackeray will rise much higher politically in times ahead, he asserted.
The MNS won 13 assembly seats (out of 288) in the 2009 elections, its first state polls after the party came into existence. In the 2019 state polls, the MNS got 1 seat. The party supported the ruling Mahayuti in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year, but is contesting the November 20 Maharashtra assembly elections independently.
"In this election itself you will see several people will sit at home (will get defeated) and good people will enter politics. Also, Raj Thackeray could play a key role in new power equations after these assembly elections," former four-term MLA Nandgaonkar told PTI at the MNS office at Lalbaug in central Mumbai. Nandgaonkar is pitted against Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate and sitting MLA Ajay Choudhari, who is seeking a third term.
Choudhari defeated Nandgaonkar in the 2014 assembly election. Campaigning whi.