Two veteran Sena leaders in Shinde camp in public spat over Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat

A public spat between two senior leaders of the Shiv Sena party in Mumbai over the party's candidature for the Mumbai North West constituency. Gajanan Kirtikar, the sitting MP, is accused of helping his son get elected on a different ticket. The party leader has stated that he will field his son as the candidate. The two leaders have also exchanged allegations of betrayal and possible collusion with other parties.

Mumbai: Two senior leaders of the the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, Gajanan Kirtikar and Ramdas Kadam, are involved in a public spat over the party candidature from Mumbai North West constituency.

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Kirtikar is a sitting MP from Mumbai North West constituency while Kadam is a former minister. Kadam has alleged that Kirtikar could betray the party by helping his son Amol get elected on a Shiv Sena (UBT) ticket. Amol has chosen not to follow his father and has stayed back in Thackeray faction. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has in a meeting told the partymen that he would be fielding Amol from Mumbai North West constituency.

Kadam alleged that Kirtikar will contest from Shiv Sena and his son Amol from Shiv Sena (UBT) and the plan appears to be to get Amol elected. “Kirtikar senior may file his nomination and would sit at home. We have to ensure that the party is not cheated,” said Kadam.

Sources in Shiv Sena said that Kadam wants his son Siddhesh to contest from Mumbai North West, though he denied it.

Kirtikar had contested from Mumbai North West from 2009 and was defeated by Gurudas Kamat of Congress. He won from this seat in 2014 and 2019.

Kirtikar said, ``I have replied to Kadam via a statement. I don’t start any controversy. His son wants a ticket for parliamentary polls. I am contesting the polls. Let my son contest from wherever. He won’t contest against me. I have told him not to campaign against me.’’

Kirtikar has also gone public with a list of allegations how Kadam had always betrayed the party when they were in undivided Shiv Sena. He has also revealed that Kadam while in Sena had travelled with NCP chief Sharad Pawar in the latter ‘s car from Khed (Ratnagiri) to Bhor (Pune). “Let him tell what did they discuss,”Kirtikar said, hinting that Kadam was trying to join NCP then.