Wiser after bitter lessons in the Lok Sabha election to Thane, the Shiv Sena has fielded candidates who are true-blood Sainiks in the traditional party stronghold.

“We have realised our mistakes from the Lok Sabha polls and made amends. Similarly the traditional Sena voters have also realised that by voting for the MNS they have ended up helping rival parties and not their cause,” said Gopal Landge, Thane district chief of the Sena.

Party leaders have been forced to admit that many traditional Shiv Sena voters in Thane had voted for the MNS in the Lok Sabha polls because they resented the Sena’s decision to field Vijay Chaughule, who had spent several years with the Nationalist Congress Party before returning to the Sena. Chaughule was defeated by 49,000 votes by Sanjeev Naik, son of his former mentor Ganesh Naik.

This time around, loyal Sainik and former mayor Rajan Vichare, ignored for a Lok Sabha candidature, has been given the Assembly ticket from Thane City, while MLA Eknath Shinde is contesting from Kopri-Panchpakadi. Ovla-Majiwada is an exception, with the candidate not a veteran Sainik: the ticket has gone to Pratap Sarnaik, who had entered the Sena in 2008 after quitting the NCP.