Ending a week-long speculation, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray today announced that his party will contest the upcoming general elections. Addressing MNS eighth anniversary celebrations in Mumbai today Raj Thackeray said, his party will support BJP's Narendra Modi as Prime Minister after the elections. Raj however, declined Bharatiya Janata Party's proposal to join Sena-BJP alliance. Raj has decided to go alone.

Thackeray released the first list of MNS candidates contesting general elections in Maharashtra. Just one of the seven nominees declared today is pitted against a BJP candidate while the other six will take on rival Shiv Sena nominees.

Filmmaker and actor Mahesh Manjrekar is one of the seven candidates. He will be contesting from North- south Mumbai. The other six nominees include, Bala Nandgaonkar from South Mumbai, Aditya Shirodkarn south-central Mumbai , Raju Patil from Kalyan Dombivli, Ashok Khandebahar from Shirur , Pradeep Pawar from Nashik and Deepak Paigude from Pune.