Another Maharashtra navnirman sena corporator dumps party, joins BJP

NASHIK: Corporator and district president of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Sudam Kombde joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday evening at Sinnar in the presence of chief minster Devendra Fadnavis, who is on a tour of the district.
This is another big blow to the ruling MNS in Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC), which has been reduced to half its strength over the past few months. From 40 corporators in February 2012, the MNS has been reduced to just 19 in the NMC in the past few months.
Kombde, who is a first time corporator in the NMC, was elected from prabhag 52 (B) in the 2012 civic election. Former divisional president of MNS, Mohan More also joined BJP along with Kombde. The latest setback comes barely a few months ahead of the civic polls.
Confirming Kombde’s entry into the party, a senior BJP leader said, “It was planned to happen at a later date but since the chief minister was here, the formality was held today itself at a programme in Sinnar.”
Recently, former MNS leader of the house Shashikant Jadhav joined the BJP in the presence of Fadnavis and Raosaheb Danve in Mumbai. MNS corporators Vishal Gholap and Ashok Satbhai joined Shiv Sena formally at Matoshree in the presence of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.
MNS leaders, who left the party, said the party chief has not conducted a single meeting to strengthen the party and it was an indirect message for them to leave. Even after the party’s decline in the past few months, MNS chief Raj Thackeray had not visited the city or taken any steps to build confidence among partymen.
“We are direction-less about the strategy for civic elections, which are barely three months away. Under this circumstance, many more MNS party people may leave and join other parties,” said a senior MNS leader.
The leader added that several prominent leaders and office bearers in the civic body were in talks with other political parties and were likely to make the switch ahead of the civic polls scheduled in February 2017.
During the 2012 civic elections in the state, MNS had made strident marches in several key municipal corporations, including Mumbai, Pune and Thane. Its biggest achievement, however, was in emerging as the single largest party in the Nashik municipal corporation and winning the mayoral elections.