Poll pact sealed with BJP, Shiv Sena announces first list of candidates for Maharashtra polls

Shiv Sena has retained most of its sitting MLAs, while it has also given tickets to legislator who switched over in the last few months. Aaditya Thackeray will contest from Worli seat in south Mumbai.

On the heels of the BJP announcing its first list of 125 candidates, the Shiv Sena on Tuesday released its first list of 70 candidates it will field in the Maharashtra Assembly elections on October 21.

The Sena has retained most of its sitting MLAs, while it has also given tickets to legislator who switched over in the last few months.

Aaditya Thackeray, son of Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, will contest from Worli seat in south Mumbai.

Junior ministers in the state government Arjun Khotkar, Vijay Shivtare and Ravindra Waikar will contest from Jalna, Purandare and Jogeshwari east Assembly segments respectively.

Several turncoats have been given tickets by the party. Former legislator Abdul Sattar who joined the Sena last month has been fielded from Sillod in Aurangabad, former NCP legislator Bhaskar Jadhav who joined the Sena will fight from Guhagar Assembly segment. Pandurang Barora, former NCP MLA, has been given a ticket from Shahapur, in Thane district. Nirmala Gavit another turncoat was given a ticket from Igatpuri in Nashik district.

In a surprise move, Avdhut Tatkare, who joined the Sena from the NCP, has not been given ticket from Shrivardhan. Tatkare had resigned as the legislator to join the Sena and was hoping to get a ticket.

Instead, Vinod Ghosalkar has been fielded from Shrivardhan. Ghosalkar was pushing for Dahisar seat in Mumbai, but the seat is with the BJP so he was accommodated from Konkan.

South Mumbai division head (vibhag Pramukh) Pandurang Sakpal has been given a ticket from Mumbadevi in south Mumbai. He could take on sitting Congress legislator Amin Patel.