Maharashtra polls: Sandeep Naik, Nilesh Rane set trend for kin of senior leaders swapping parties to bag tickets

In Maharashtra, political loyalties shift as candidates seek assembly election tickets, with key figures switching between major coalitions

Mumbai: The political chessboard in Maharashtra is seeing a flurry of activity as the sons and nephews of senior politicians swap loyalties in return for tickets to contest the upcoming assembly elections. In some cases, politicians are switching allegiances to make sure they have a stake in both the major coalitions – the ruling Mahayuti and opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) – to hedge their bets.

Navi Mumbai BJP chief Sandeep Naik has resigned and joined NCP (SP) in the presence of NCP state chief Jayant Patil at Vashi. (Photo by Bachchan Kumar/ HT PHOTO) (HT PHOTO)

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Navi Mumbai, Ganesh Naik’s son Sandeep joined the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (SP) on Tuesday, after the BJP refused to nominate him from the Belapur constituency. Sandeep, a former MLA, was all set to contest from Belapur but the BJP renominated its sitting MLA, Manda Mhatre, a political rival of the Naik family.

Sandeep joined the NCP (SP) in the presence of the party’s state president, Jayant Patil, who indicated that Sandeep would be fielded from Belapur. Interestingly, his father Ganesh Naik has been renominated by the BJP from the adjoining Airoli constituency.

In the Konkan, BJP MP and former chief minister Narayan Rane’s elder son Nilesh is set to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Nilesh, currently with the BJP and a former MP, is intent on contesting from the Kudal assembly constituency, which is with Shinde’s party in the ruling alliance.

Over the last two days, Rane Senior held several meetings with Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to discuss his son’s candidacy. Rane’s younger son Nitesh is the BJP MLA from the adjoining Kankavali constituency and has been renominated by the party. “I am firm on contesting the election. I have a plan for developing the Kudal constituency,” Nilesh told the media on Tuesday. He will be contesting against Vaibhav Naik of the Sena (UBT).

Kudal and Kankavali are two of the three assembly constituencies in Sindhudurg district. Both of them are part of the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg parliamentary constituency represented by their father, Narayan Rane.

In Kolhapur, the BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Dhananjay Mahadik’s son Krishnaraj is keen to contest from Kolhapur North. Since the constituency is with the Shinde-led Sena, the Mahadiks are talking to senior leaders, so that Krishnaraj can switch from the BJP to the Sena, to toss his hat into the ring.

In another high-profile case, NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal’s nephew Sameer is on the verge of quitting the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. According to Bhujbal camp insiders, Sameer wants to contest from Nandgaon constituency in Nashik district. He cannot contest as a Mahayuti alliance candidate as the sitting MLA Suhas Kande is from the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

“Bhujbal has requested party chief Ajit Pawar to ask for the Nandgaon seat in exchange for another. If that happens, Sameer would contest on an NCP ticket. If not, he has other options,” said an insider from Bhujbal camp.

It is unlikely that CM Shinde will concede a seat where he has a sitting MLA. Sameer is planning to either contest as an independent or join the NCP (SP), so that he can contest. In the opposition MVA coalition, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) faction has staked its claim to the seat since the united Shiv Sena had won it in the 2019 elections. “If the NCP (SP) manages to wrest it from the Shiv Sena (UBT), Sameer will join the party, or else he will contest as an independent,” he added.

The rivalry between the Bhujbals and Kandes is well-known in Nashik district. During the Lok Sabha election, when Bhujbal Senior wanted to contest from the Nashik constituency, Kande was among the Shiv Sena leaders who strongly opposed his candidacy.

Meanwhile, a senior NCP (SP) leader said the party has received requests from several leaders from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP and even from the BJP. “Some of these aspirants have local aspirations while others want a stake in both sides – Mahayuti and MVA – so that they can keep their options open, regardless of who comes to power,” he pointed out.