Fearing a drubbing, MNS leaders lay blame at Raj Thackeray's door

MUMBAI: Throughout his political career, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena ( MNS) leader Raj Thackeray has always been critical of his cousin Uddhav Thackeray's understanding of politics and has questioned the latter's political acumen.

Eight years after Raj quit to form his own party, and two days before the Maharashtra assembly poll results, the same questions are now being asked of Raj by leaders of his own party. If the exit polls are to be believed, performance of MNS in the polls may end up disappointing its cadres, and a section of the party are laying the blame at its leader's door.

"We would be happy even if we get 10 seats, however there is a real likelyhood of us not getting more than 5 seats," said an MNS leader. Blaming Raj directly, another senior leader said the MNS chief's constant flip-flops and his unpredictability have caused many of the party supporters to turn away from the party.

"A month before the Lok Sabha polls, he (Raj) criticised Narendra Modi, then after BJP leaders met him, he supported Modi but said he would put candidates against the Shiv Sena. In the assembly polls, again he began targeting Modi and then extended a hand of friendship to the Sena. There is something called ideology and if in a matter of five months you keep on changing your party's stand, then voters would obviously be disillusioned with you," said the MNS leader.

He added that Raj's announcement naming himself as a candidate for contesting the assembly polls only to change his mind later by saying he won't contest also did not help matters. However, the worst damage, according to many party leaders, was the MNS chief taking a long time to hit the campaign trail.

"We should have hit the campaign trail immediately after the Lok Sabha polls and we should gone to the people with a development plan early," said the leader.