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Andheri East by-poll: Sena gets shot in the arm as Congress declares its support
Mumbai Shiv Sena got a shot in the arm on Wednesday when Congress announced its support to the party in the upcoming by-election for the Andheri East assembly constituency in Mumbai
Mumbai Shiv Sena got a shot in the arm on Wednesday when Congress announced its support to the party in the upcoming by-election for the Andheri East assembly constituency in Mumbai.
The by-election will see a first direct electoral fight between Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party since Eknath Shinde led a dramatic revolt and fall of Uddhav Thackeray in the state.
The by-poll is scheduled for November 3. It was necessitated following the death of sitting Shiv Sena MLA Ramesh Latke who died in May this year. Shiv Sena has fielded Rutuja, wife of Ramesh Latke. BJP has pitted Murji Patel and is hoping to win the seat with the help of Shinde faction.
On Wednesday, Nana Patole, president, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) announced that the Congress will not field its candidate and will instead support Shiv Sena candidate.
“When BJP’s efforts to break Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi were not successful, they broke the Shiv Sena. In the battle against BJP, the Congress is firmly standing with Shiv Sena. Thus, the party will not field its candidate for Andheri East by-election. In fact, Congress leaders and workers will work with full strength to ensure Sena’s victory,” Patole said in a statement.
Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi is a coalition of three parties — Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress.
With Congress at his side, Sena has got an advantage as the former has a significant number of votes in the constituency. Till 2014, the seat was with Congress but for the last two assembly elections, Latke was winning the polls. In the 2019 assembly elections, Congress candidate Amin Kutty finished third by securing 27,951 votes.
Murji Patel was the first runner up in the poll with 45,808 votes as an independent candidate and this time he will contest as a BJP candidate.
With Congress coming in for Shiv Sena, the unity of MVA coalition appears intact as NCP too had declared its support.
Shiv Sena said that the MVA is together and will remain so. “As a MVA partner, Shiv Sena had extended support to the Congress in the by-poll held for north Kolhapur assembly constituency held in April this year. This time they are doing the same. We are together and will remain together,” said Arvind Sawant, Shiv Sena MP and spokesperson.
Andheri East has significant Marathi-speaking voters and the result of the by-poll is seen as a litmus test for the Thackeray faction. It is expected to provide a sense of the mood among the people over the change of government in Maharashtra.
