With municipal elections approaching fast, the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has started working on Hindutva and Marathi planks. Amid a changed political situation in the state, Raj will visit Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir in early March, then celebrate the party’s foundation day and proceed on a 30-day tour of the state.

On Friday, Raj also met senior MNS leaders to decide the course of action. Party’s ex-MLA Bala Nandgaonkar outlined the MNS` programme. "Raj Thackeray will visit Ayodhya between March 1 and 9," he said, adding that the party will celebrate its foundation day on March 9. Major municipal corporations, including Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivli, Vasai-Virar, and Aurangabad will go to polls in March-April this year, while next February, Mumbai, Thane, Bhiwandi, and many other cities will have their municipal elections, thus making 2021-22 a period of mini assembly elections in urban areas. Much will be at stake for MNS in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.