BJP will emerge as number one party in Thane district, says Ganesh Naik

Mumbai, Aug 21 (PTI) The BJP will emerge as the number one party in Thane district, senior party leader and Maharashtra forest minister Ganesh Naik said on Thursday.

Incidentally, Thane and its adjoining regions are the stronghold of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his Shiv Sena.

Naik was speaking at the state BJP office after several Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress leaders from Chandrapur, Kalyan-Dombivali and Palghar joined the party in the presence of state unit chief Ravindra Chavan. Prominent among the new inductees are Anil Dhanorkar, brother-in-law of Chandrapur Congress MP Pratibha Dhanorkar.

"We don't need an astrologer to tell us BJP will be the number one party in Thane district. We are already strong in Navi Mumbai, Mira Bhayander, Kalyan Dombivali, Ulhasnagar, Palghar, Vasai Virar municipal corporations as well as Thane and Palghar zilla parishads," Naik said.

"The cadre has to work hard to ensure the party becomes number one. We respect our allies. (But) We should also work to make our party number one. In the coming days, more leaders from other parties will join the BJP," the minister added. PTI MR BNM