MNS legislator resigns from post, to quit party soon

In a development that has created unrest in the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), party's legislator from Kannad constituency in Aurangabad district, Harshwardhan Jadhav resigned and announced that he would quit the party as well.

In a development that has created unrest in the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), party's legislator from Kannad constituency in Aurangabad district, Harshwardhan Jadhav resigned and announced that he would quit the party as well.

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While quitting, Jadhav expressed his unhappiness over being sidelined and feeling demoralised in the party.

According to sources, both senior leaders from the Shiv Sena and the NCP are in talks with him for joining their respective parties.

"I have quit as a legislator and sent my resignation to the legislative assembly speaker Dilip Walse-Patil," said Jadhav said at Aurangabad on Wednesday.

Explaining his position, Jadhav said that he has been unhappy for a long time and had been trying to seek an appointment with MNS chief Raj Thackeray to express his grievance, but in vain.

"There is a close coterie of people in the MNS who influence his decisions. People from my party worked against me by joining hands with our opponents. I wanted to tell Thackeray this," said Jadhav while talking about how inaccessible Thackeray was.

"I come from an influential political family where both my parents have been politicians. This is unacceptable," he added.

When asked about what he would do next, Jadhav said "I will not join any political party but contest elections independently," he said.

Thackeray, who refused to comment on this issue, spent a significant part of the day holding talks with senior MNS legislator Bala Nandgaonkar on his strategy after Jadhav's exit. Nandgaonkar said only Thackeray would react to the development.