Shiv Sena announces 3 seats: Shinde’s son gets Kalyan, former mayor Mhaske gets Thane

The BJP wanted Shinde to relinquish Nashik to the NCP for Bhujbal to contest. It had also staked a claim to the Thane seat, which is considered Shinde’s stronghold. The CM, however, managed to keep Nashik and Thane while conceding Palghar

MUMBAI: With less than three weeks for the Mumbai election, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena announced candidates for three seats, two of which were locked in negotiations with ally BJP. Shinde’s son, Shrikant, has been renominated from Kalyan while former mayor Naresh Mhaske will contest from Thane. The party also managed to get the Nashik seat and renominated sitting MP Hemant Godse, ending weeks of speculation that senior NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal could contest from there.

Thane, India - May ,01, 2024: The Lok Sabha candidature of ShivSena Shinde faction of Thane was finally announced On wednesday after a long wait Naresh Mhaske has been nominated for Thane Lok Sabha Constituency and at Thane Tembhi Naka Shiv Sena shakha Naresh Mhaske is seen at Thane Tembhi Naka ShivSena shakha to greet late Anand Dighe and on this occasion ShivSena Shinde group shivsainik congratulated to Naresh Mhaske ,in Thane, in Mumbai, India, on, Wednesday, May,01, 2024. ( Praful Gangurde / HT Photo )

With Wednesday’s announcement, the seat-sharing in the Mahayuti alliance has been finalised, with the BJP contesting 28 seats, the Shinde Sena 15, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP four and the alliance’s minor partner, the Rashtriya Samaj Paksh, with one seat. Shinde had to concede the Palghar seat to the BJP though the sitting MP, Rajendra Gavit, is from his party.

The announcement of the Thane and Nashik candidates was delayed due to the tug-of-war between the Sena and BJP over the seats. The BJP wanted Shinde to relinquish Nashik to the NCP for Bhujbal to contest. It had also staked a claim to the Thane seat, which is considered Shinde’s stronghold. The CM, however, managed to keep Nashik and Thane while conceding Palghar.

In Thane, Shinde’s options were Mhaske, MLA Pratap Sarnaik and former legislator Ravindra Phatak. Of the three, Mhaske is considered a trusted aide of Shinde. He will now face sitting MP and Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Rajan Vichare.

The candidature of Shinde’s son, Shrikant, was announced by deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis a few weeks ago when the Kalyan East BJP unit decided to back the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Vaishali Darekar Rane. On Wednesday, Shinde officially declared the candidature of Shrikant, who will file his papers on Thursday in the presence of Shinde and deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.

The BJP top leadership wanted the NCP’s OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal to fight from Nashik on a BJP ticket, but the NCP leadership later told him that the Maratha community was against him due to his utterances during the Maratha reservation agitation. Bhujbal then gave up his claim to the seat but insisted that his party get it. On Wednesday, the ticket was finally granted to Hemant Godse, the sitting Sena MP who, upset that the party had delayed the announcement for so long, had spent a few days in Mumbai to convince Shinde. Bhujbal has said that he will campaign for Godse.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) has fielded Rajabhau Waze from Nashik. The BJP had wanted the seat for its senior leader Dinkar Patil, who had been making preparations, and is now upset. Then there is religious leader Shantigiri Maharaj who had been angling for a ticket from the Mahayuti and will now contest as an independent.