Mumbai, January 04: The Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have braced for facing the ‘mini-assembly’ election.
The MNS, widely seen as the game changer in the civic elections, is all set to shake the might of BMC rulers and the party’s arch rival Shiv Sena.
“Though it is difficult to predict the numbers, the MNS will win a sizeable number of wards,” said Shirish Sawant, general secretary of MNS.
The MNS is banking on 39 wards from the A+ category from where they are expected to win comfortably. With 50% seats reserved for women in the corporation elections, Shalini Thackeray, vice-president of MNS’s women wing, is confident of increasing the tally. “Once the results are announced, no party can be in power without our support,” she said.
Shiv Sena, too, is confident of retaining power in the BMC.
Sources said Sena’s excellent ground-level network of activists and a strong women’s wing in Mumbai are going to work for the party.
“No party other than Sena has such a strong women’s wing. The developmental works in the BMC are enough to bring us back in power,” said Subhash Desai, MLA and senior Sena leader.
–Agencies