MNS mayor likely in Nashik with BJP's help

Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena looks all set to get its candidate elected as Mayor of Nashik with likely support from Bharatiya Janata Party.

"I feel it will definitely be an MNS Mayor in Nashik tomorrow," MNS group leader in Maharashtra assembly Bala

Nandgaonkar said on Wednesday.

Though Nandgaonkar did not specify how will the party, which has 40 of the 122 seats in Nashik Municipal Corporation achieve the feat, sources told PTI that BJP, which did not have an alliance with Shiv Sena in last month's civic polls, will lend a helping hand.

BJP has 14 corporators in the newly elected NMC and with support from Independents and others, MNS will be able to muster the required numbers to win the Mayoral election being held on Thursday, they said.

Shiv Sena, which has 19 seats, has fielded its own candidate for the post.

State BJP has been trying to pacify Sena leadership over its stand to support MNS. After an hour-long meeting with Raj late on Monday, State BJP chief Sudhir Mungantiwar met Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray late last night and another round of talks between leaders of the saffron allies is expected tonight.

MNS emerged as the single largest party in Nashik, but fell well short of the majority mark (62). The Sena is expected to remain neutral in case BJP backs MNS, thus tacitly, if not too willingly, helping Raj's party.

MNS openly supported Sena-BJP combine in last week's Mayoral poll in Thane and people expect Uddhav to give a "return gift" to his estranged cousin Raj, an MNS leader said.