MUMBAI: Smaller parties in Maharashtra failed to impress people in the assembly elections, but they played spoilsport for the Maha Vikas Aghadi in closely contested seats. The smaller parties won 11 seats while independents won only two in the multi-corner contests even though they got a total 13.82% vote share.
Raj Thackeray-led MNS fielded 145 candidates but not a single candidate of the party won the election. Raj Thackeray’s son Amit Thackeray who contested from the Mahim seat also lost against Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Mahesh Sawant. MNS did not get any seat in the polls.
The Samajwadi Party contested six seats and won two, Abhu Azami in Govandi-Mankhurd and Rais Sheikh from Bhiwandi East.
The Peasant and Workers Party contested six seats, but won only Sangola. Babasaheb Deshmukh defeated Shiv Sena’s Shahaji Babu Patil. MIM candidate Mufti Mohammad won in Malegaon Central constituency by 162 votes.
Mahadeo Jankar-led Rashtriya Samaj Party and CPM and Rajshri Shahu Vikas Party, each won one seat. The BSP has not won a single seat with 0.48% vote share. Also, Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and Vanchit Vikas Aghadi also failed to win any seat. The VBA used to win two to three seats in Vasai-Virar belt, it failed despite its “operation” against BJP’s Vinod Tawade.