200 leave Raj Thackeray's party to join Shiv Sena

Mumbai, Feb 6 : At least 200 members of the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Wednesday left the party and joined the Shiv Sena.

They joined Shiv Sena in presence of its executive president Uddhav Thackeray.

According to Shiva Sena secretary Vinayak Raut, the MNS members joined the party at a function held at Bal Thackeray's residence Matoshree in suburban Bandra.

Commenting on the prevailing political scenario after Raj Thackeray's remarks against north Indians, Raut said: "This is a fight between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the MNS, not between Maharashtrians and north Indians."

Raut went on to say that MNS were annoyed with the ongoing battle and this compelled them to leave the party.

Violence had rocked Maharashtra on Sunday as the SP took out a rally despite the threat of disruption by Raj Thackeray.

Thackeray's MNS party's campaign against "outsiders" has targeted migrants from northern India and accused them of robbing Maharashtrians of jobs.

Party workers have intimidated migrants, damaged vehicles and beaten up taxi drivers, most of them from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

The MNS was founded after Raj Thackeray broke away from Shiv Sena in 2005.

ANI