Elections will see communal parties losing relevance: Chavan

A few hours before the voting begins in polls for Mumbai and nine other civic bodies, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan Wednesday said that the elections will be a turning point for the state and see communal parties like Shiv Sena losing their relevance.

“They (the elections) will see communal parties like Shiv Sena losing their relevance,” Chavan told reporters here.

Taking pot shots at Bal Thackeray and his son Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), he said that the rallies addressed by these parties will not translate into votes.

Chavan also expressed disappointment over Samajwadi Party’s role in the election campaigning, terming it negative. He hinted that there might be an understanding between the party and Shiv Sena.

The Samajwadi Party is fielding 38 Muslim candidates and have given tickets to only eight Marathi candidates.

Chavan alleged that the party is dividing the secular vote.