Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has been making frequent visits to the city these days, and those in the know within the party reveal the reason is to strengthen the political outfit in preparation for the 2014 assembly election.

These MNS leaders said Thackeray’s efforts are now directed towards making major advances in the city and its vicinity in the assembly election after the remarkable success of the party in last year’s municipal election.