Maha polls: BJP, Sena in renominate sitting MLAs

The Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have retained most sitting MLAs from Mumbai in their first lists. Prominent BJP leaders who have been renominated

The Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have retained most sitting MLAs from Mumbai in their first lists. Prominent BJP leaders who have been renominated include Mumbai unit chief Mangal Prabhat Lodha, who will contest from Malabar Hill, education minister Ashish Shelar, who will contest from Bandra (West), as well as ministers Yogesh Sagar (Charkop) and Vidya Thakur (Goregaon).

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Among those whose names were not included on the list are higher education minister Vinod Tawde, who represents Borivli, former housing minister Prakash Mehta (Ghatkopar East), who was dropped from the cabinet over graft charges and Colaba legislator Raj Purohit. It is not clear whether they would be renominated or dropped.

Besides Aaditya Thackeray, who will contest from Worli constituency, the Shiv Sena is repeating its sitting MLAs. Minister Ravindra Waikar will contest from Jogeshwari (East). Other sitting legislators who are renominated include Sada Sarvankar (Mahim), Sunil Raut (Vikhroli) and Ramesh Latke from Andheri (East).

However, the party is yet to reveal if Mumbai mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar will replace Trupti Sawant as the candidate from Bandra (East). Mahadeshwar said, “The decision on Bandra (East) seat is not final yet, and I have expressed my desire to contest from it. A final decision will be taken soon.”

For Aaditya Thackeray’s candidature, sitting Sena MLA Sunil Shinde has given up his seat. Former Sena MLA from Dahisar Vinod Ghosalkar who was pushing to retain his seat has been fielded from Shrivardhan in Raigad district.

Sardar Tara Singh, 80, has been replaced by BJP Mumbai unit vice-president Mihir Kotecha in Mulund. Kotecha had contested the 2014 Assembly elections from Wadala, where he lost against Kalidas Kolambkar, who was then in Congress. “With Kolambkar’s entry into the BJP, Kotecha had to be adjusted somewhere else, so he got the ticket from Mulund,” said a BJP functionary from Mulund.

The Sena’s list also features several former corporators. Yamini Jadhav, a former Sena corporator and wife of standing committee chairman Yashwant Jadhav, will contest from Byculla, while Vitthal Lokare, a former Congress corporator who joined the Sena recently will contest from Govandi.

Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) also released its first list of candidates on Tuesday. The list includes 27 names. The MNS has fielded former corporator Sandeep Deshpande from Mahim and Avinash Jadhav from Thane.

The day also saw a tussle between local party workers. BJP workers expressed anguish as the party left Magathane seat for Shiv Sena. Although the Sena has a sitting MLA in Magathane, local BJP workers wanted the seat for Pravin Darekar, who crossed over to the party from the MNS in 2014. Former city mayor Shraddha Jadhav registered her protest as the party conceded Wadala constituency to the BJP, which is fielding Congress turncoat Kalidas Kolambkar. Jadhav had been asked by party leaders to prepare to contest from the constituency.

Nationalist Congress Party’s Vidya Chavan filed her nomination from Dindoshi Assembly constituency, which the party has swapped with Congress, on Tuesday. NCP’s two-term corporator Ajit Raorane, who had contested from the constituency in 2014, was also in the race and may file papers as an independent.