Mahayuti infighting: BJP to campaign against allies in 3 seats; 2 in Mumbai

The three candidates it has refused to back are: Sada Sarvankar (Sena); Abdul Sattar (Sena); and Nawab Malik (NCP) in Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar in Mumbai

Mumbai: All is not well within the ruling Mahayuti alliance, as infighting between the three allies spills into the public domain. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the senior partner in the coalition, along with the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), says it will not campaign for three key leaders fielded by the Sena and NCP.

Mumbai, India. Oct 26, 2024: Shiv Sena workers gather in large numbers outside Sada Sarvankar office at Prabhadevi insisting that Sarvankar should not withdraw the candidature opposite Raj Thackeray's son Amit in Mahim constituency. BJP has appealed that Mahayuti should support Amit. Oct 26, 2024. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Hindustan Times)

The three candidates it has refused to back are: Sada Sarvankar (Sena) in Mahim; Abdul Sattar (Sena) in Sillod in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar; and Nawab Malik (NCP) in Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar in Mumbai.

Mahim: The BJP has always maintained it is one-hundred percent behind Amit Thackeray, son of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNA) and a poll debutant. It has repeatedly tried to persuade its ally in the Mahayuti alliance, the Shiv Sena, to withdraw its candidate, sitting MLA Sada Sarvankar, but in vain. This means the BJP will campaign against Sarvankar, the official Sena candidate in Mahim.

BJP vice-president and MLC Prasad Lad said on Sunday, “Raj Thackeray’s son is like our own son contesting the election. We will campaign for him and ensure his victory. I think Sarvankar will perhaps withdraw his candidacy as CM Shinde saheb is persuading him to do this. Sarvankar has been assured membership of the Legislative Council. There is no difference in the membership of both Houses.”

Sarvankar, however, has told his party he will not withdraw his nomination. His son, Samadhan, in a post on social media said, “The person who works among the people is not fascinated for the Legislative Council seat. To understand what does it mean to not have a candidate representing Bow and Arrow, the Sena symbol, one needs to be a Shiv Sainik. It will be shameful to not have a candidate in Dadar where the Sena was born…”

Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar: In Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, the BJP will not campaign for Nawab Malik, who has been fielded by the NCP. The BJP has alleged that Malik has underworld connections and therefore does not support him.

On Sunday, Malik declared, “I am not the Mahayuti candidate, I am an NCP candidate. Although some Mahayuti allies are not with me, their workers and leaders are. I will emerge victorious from the constituency. Had Ajit Pawar been under pressure from the BJP, he would not have given me the ticket.”

BJP leaders Devendra Fadnavis said recently, “Forget inducting Malik in the state cabinet once we form our government after the election, we will not even campaign for him. We will campaign for Shiv Sena candidate, Suresh Patil.”

Sillod: In Marathwada, BJP leaders have upped the ante against minority affairs minister and Shiv Sena leader, Abdul Sattar, who is a candidate from Sillod in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar. The BJP’s state election coordinator, Raosaheb Danve, said he would not even set foot in Sillod. “Everybody knows that Sattar campaigned against me in the Lok Sabha election, so there is no question of me campaigning for him now. I am the election campaign coordinator of the party. If the party asks me to campaign, I will,” he said.

Leaders from the ruling parties say the infighting could impact the Mahayuti’s poll prospects in some constituencies.