Amit Thackeray finished a distant third in Mumbai’s Mahim seat

Mumbai:

Following a defeat in his electoral debut, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray’s son Amit has said he accepts the mandate. The 32-year-old said he did not contest this election as a “prince”, but as a common activist fighting for Maharashtra and its people.

Amit Thackeray contested the election from Mumbai’s Mahim seat and finished a distant third. His uncle Uddhav Thackeray’s party, Shiv Sena (UBT) won the seat with Mahesh Baliram Sawant clinching a slim victory with a margin of 1,316 votes.

“I humbly and respectfully accept the call given by my people in the assembly elections today. For the past several years, I have seen people struggle for basic needs in this ward. We should write a new chapter for development and change in the ward. With this intention, I entered this election,” Amit Thackeray said in a post in Marathi on X.

The young leader this defeat has taught him that he has to work hard to gain the faith of the people.

“This battle of mine was never to gain political power… Because this battle was not of any prince, it was of an ordinary activist who fights for all, for our people, for our Maharashtra’s bright future. I just wanted to put a smile of satisfaction on your face,” he has said.

Amit Thackeray said this was not the end of his journey but the beginning. “Thanks to all the voters who showed their faith and voted for me. Your faith will not go wasted. I promise – I will always strive to fulfill your dreams, to come true to your beliefs. Because my battle is so long and we will win it together,” he said.

The MNS, once a formidable force in Maharashtra politics, has seen its influence diminish over the past two state polls. After winning 13 seats in the 2009 polls, the party slumped to 1 win in the 2014 and the 2019 elections. This time, it failed to open its account despite contesting 125 seats and cornered just 1.5 per cent voteshare.