A Muslim cleric, Maulana Mufti Ismail, bagged the Malegaon assembly seat (near Nashik), while Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) opened its account in Vikhroli (Mumbai north-east suburb) here Thursday in the Maharashtra assembly elections.

The Malegaon winner belongs to the Jan Surajya Party which is part of the Republican Left Democratic Front (RLDF), know as the Third Front of 18 parties.