NCP v/s MNS

The statewide NCP-MNS clashes point to the escalating tension between deputy chief minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar and MNS chief Raj Thackeray as they vie for a common vote bank ahead of the 2014 elections, say political observers.
Raj, in a statement, accused Ahmednagar police of “keeping mum” when NCP workers pelted stones at his motorcade on Tuesday. Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray came to his cousin’s rescue, accusing the NCP of trying to “silence” the Opposition using the brute strength of the police.
State NCP chief Madhukar Pichad urged partymen to stay calm and devote their energies to tackle the drought.
Pawar and Thackeray have emerged as GenNext icons of Marathis in recent times.

Sparks were bound to fly as Raj, whose charisma is said to revolve around urban pockets, recently began a tour of rural Maharashtra which Pawar covets as his fiefdom. Significantly, the NCP’s alleged attack on Raj’s cavalcade took place in Ahmednagar, an NCP citadel in western Maharashtra, Sharad Pawar’s political backyard.