General elections 2014: No new additions to original MNS list

MUMBAI: Eighteen days after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Chief Raj Thackeray announced his first list of seven candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, there have been no additions to it. The MNS has not fielded candidates in BJP-dominated areas, giving rise to speculation that the party may have struck a secret deal with the BJP to indirectly help it in some constituencies.

"Raj Thackeray announced the first list of seven candidates and said that he will come out with another soon. He also declared an alliance with the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) which is contesting several seats. We are likely to announce some more candidates," said MNS Lok Sabha contestant from south Mumbai and sitting MLA Bala Nandgaonkar.

But party insiders confirmed that there was no possibility of MNS contesting more seats than what was already announced.

The MNS had fought from 11 seats in 2009, but this time they have declared candidates for seven seats, and two in alliance with the PWP. Interestingly, the seven seats from where it has fielded its men have no BJP interest.

Expect for the Pune seat, Thackeray has not fielded any candidate against the BJP.

Political analyst Kumar Ketkar said, "This is a story of a fight between the Sena and MNS on one hand, and also one of rift between the Sena and BJP on the other. Maharashtra has had a legacy of fratricidal politics right from the Peshavas.