Kalyan-Dombivali is stage of battle between cousins Thackeray

Raj Thackeray on Sunday announced a list of 100 candidates,screened from almost 5,000,for the elections to the Shiv Sena-BJP-controlled KDMC. The Shiv Sena had on Saturday announced a list of 35 candidates for the October 31 polls.

A stiff fight has been predicted between the MNS and the Shiv Sena,as the MNS had won two Assembly seats from this area last year.

The MNS chief said if his party is voted to power,Kalyan and Dombivali towns would be transformed like Nashik city. Because of its numbers in the Nashik Municipal Corporation,the MNS has a say in activities of the civic body.

“In the past,we divided our efforts in several elections and did not benefit. We will concentrate on the KDMC elections and I am confident the next KDMC mayor will be from the MNS,” he said.

During the campaign,the Thackeray cousins came down heavily on demolitions in Thane saying such action against slums for being a burden on basic infrastructure should not be taken by the government. Chief Minister Ashok Chavan had recently stated that court orders in this regard would not be violated.

The MNS will,however,not contest the Kolhapur civic body polls,for which the Sena-BJP again has a tie-up though the NCP and the Congress are going it alone,unlike in KDMC.