MUMBAI: His popularity at a perilous low, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray has realised, perhaps a little too late, that when it comes to exercising their choice, voters let their heads rule the heart. So after the party’s rout in the Lok Sabha elections, when all 11 MNS candidates lost their deposits, he is set to make development the plank for the September Assembly elections, rather than try to whip up parochial sentiments and resort to displays of vandalism.
The Lok Sabha results have shown Thackeray that voters appreciate development over sentimental issues. The firebrand party chief has now asked the MNS think tank to escalate efforts to complete a blue print for the state’s overall development—his brainchild—as early as possible. He announced the development plan when he launched MNS in 2006.
The responsibility of preparing the blueprint has fallen on Pune-based scholar Anil Shirole. He is also the head of the party’s social organisation, Maharashtra Samajik Navnirman Sanstha. According to an insider, Thackeray has asked him to focus on six sectors—tourism, agriculture, infrastructure, transport, revenue collection and planned development. He believes that these sectors are all-important for a state to make progress in terms of Gross Development Product and Per Capita Income.
According to MNS insiders, Thackeray is changing policy to get rid of factionalism and favouritism in the party. They said they could concentrate on issues that concern the common man if vandalism was not on agenda. Thackeray also stands accused for neglecting the common workers’ suggestions and contribution. Workers blame his coterie for misleading him on the mood of workers.
“Saheb (Thackeray) has lost touch with grassroots workers. He is depending heavily on his business partners to run the party. We don’t have direct access to him and our seniors don’t appraise him about our feelings,” a MNS worker from Andheri said.
Workers point out that Thackeray has not allotted any work to leaders like Raja Chougule and Sanjay Ghadi who have a mass appeal. Ghadi had built a strong network in Konkan. It is in a shambles since he has been kept idle. MNS legislators in Mumbai too are not satisfied with Thackeray’s policies. They do not dare to speak against him in public but in private conversations they admit that he has become directionless.
However, when asked about his role, Ghadi said, “Thackeray will give me a suitable responsibility soon. I was active in the campaign in Lok Sabha election. So it is baseless to say that I was kept idle.” Critics in the party said he had selected the wrong people to represent the party.