While declaring the first list of Lok Sabha candidates, MNS chief Raj Thackeray yesterday claimed that the elected MPs of his party would support BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. Contradictory to this, MNS Pune constituency candidate Deepak Paigude clearly stated that he will not contest elections in the name of Modi and is confident of winning the Pune seat against the BJP and Congress.

Backing himself: Deepak Paigude. Pic/Mohan Patil

“MNS is contesting Lok Sabha elections independently. Raj Thackeray had stated that elected MNS MPs will support Modi for the PM post later. So we are going to fight elections independently, without banking on Modi’s image,” Paigude said in his first media interaction after the party declared his name on Sunday.

Out of seven MNS Lok Sabha candidates only Paigude is going to fight head-on with BJP candidate in the Pune constituency.