The Thackeray factor

The results are out. And it will be a Congress-led government yet again in Maharashtra. And many say that the Shiv Sena was bested this time not just by the Congress-NCP combine, but also by cousin Raj Thackeray's MNS eating into the Sena's votebank. The MNS has done far better than it did in the Lok Sabha elections and the Thackeray factor is in the forefront again.  
 
While the Sena is defensive, partner BJP has openly said the Sena split affected the alliance.

Seen here is Bal Thackeray, the chief of Shiv Sena. (PTI Photo)

Gopinath Munde, BJP vice president says that the "warring Thackerays" affected the election outcome.

BJP's Maharashtra State President Nitin Gadkari denied that any internal conflict within the Sena-BJP combine played a role in their loss in Maharashtra. But he did admit that Raj Thackeray split the saffron vote.

Senior Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi admitted that the Sena-BJP combine's performance was a surprise. "We never expected these results," he said. But he was circumspect and tried to play down the Udhav Thackeray-Raj Thackeray rivalry and its effect on the poll outcome. (NDTV Photo)

In victory, the Congress has not commented on the role the 'Thackery factor' could have played in their win. But Maratha strongman, Sharad Pawar said that the voters rejected BJP-Sena in favor of the Congress-NCP.

Raj Thackeray, MNS chief. The man who dared to rebel against the mighty Bal Thackeray and his succession plans, has seen his strident poll campaign pay dividend. If the aim was to trip up cousin Udhav, Raj did that well, pocketing some important seats in the bargain. (NDTV Photo)