MNS declares first list for Ambarnath, Badlapur

While the Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party are still working on their seat-sharing formula, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has declared its first list of candidates for the elections to the Ambarnath and Badlapur Municipal Councils, reports Kiran Sonawane.

While the Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party are still working on their seat-sharing formula, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has declared its first list of candidates for the elections to the Ambarnath and Badlapur Municipal Councils.

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The MNS’s list has 19 names for Ambernath and 20 for Badlapur.

The Congress and Nationalist Congress Party are also busy working out the math of seat sharing for Ambernath

There are 50 seats in the municipal council at Ambarnath and 34 in Badlapur. Political parties are eyeing power here because these are rapidly developing townships on Mumbai’s outskirts.

The BJP, earlier, insisted on a 50-50 formula, but the Sena refused. The saffron allies are likely to share the seats in the 15:35 ratio. The sharing of seats was almost finalised except for three to four wards that the allies could not agree on. “Many party workers want tickets from the same wards, so we want to settle these issues first,” said Gopal Landge,

Sena’s Kalyan-Badlapur district president. “We will declare our list on the 19th or 20th.”

NCP president for Badlapur, Masud Quari, said, “We have decided that the Congress will get 13 seats and the NCP, 21 in Badlapur. We have already given sitting councillors a green signal to file nominations.” Quari also said the list will be released on March 19 or 20.

Manoj Chavan, MNS observer for the election said loyal party workers were given tickets because this is the party’s first election here. “The exit of Waman Mhatre [who contested the Assembly polls for the MNS from Murbad] from the MNS will not affect us because the 200 workers he came to us with have not returned to the Sena. They are with us,” Chavan said.