Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction has released the first list of 65 candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024. In this list, party chief Uddhav Thackeray’s son and youth leader Aditya Thackeray has been fielded from Worli assembly constituency. Aditya Thackeray is the current MLA from Worli, this time he will contest again from the same seat. Worli is considered an important stronghold of Shiv Sena.
Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, which is contesting the elections under the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, will contest on 85 seats. Congress State President Nana Patole has announced this in the presence of Sanjay Raut. An exciting election battle is brewing in Thane, where Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has declared Kedar Dighe, nephew of senior Shiv Sena leader late Anand Dighe, as its candidate against Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Shinde has been calling late Anand Dighe as his political mentor. Thane district unit chief of Shiv Sena (UBT) Kedar Dighe will challenge Shinde from the Kopri-Pachpakhadi seat. The Chief Minister is the MLA from this seat.
Shiv Sena (UBT) has given ticket to Rajan Vichare from Thane. Former MP and close aide of Uddhav Thackeray, Rajan Vichare has been fielded against sitting BJP MLA Sanjay Kelkar from Thane assembly constituency. There is a possibility of a triangular contest in this constituency, as Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has given ticket to Avinash Jadhav. Former deputy mayor Naresh Manera is the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate from Ovala-Majiwada area of Thane city, facing off against Shinde-led Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik.
Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate and former MLA Subhash Bhoir will face sitting MNS MLA Raju Patil in Kalyan Rural constituency of Thane district. Thane MP Naresh Mhaske, who is overseeing the election preparations, said that Chief Minister Shinde can file his nomination papers on October 28. Shinde has been winning from the Kopri-Pachpakhadi constituency as a Shiv Sena (Undivided) candidate since 2009. He defeated Sanjay Ghadigaonkar of Congress by over 89,000 votes in the 2019 elections.
Yuva Sena leader and Thackeray’s relative Varun Sardesai will contest from Bandra (East) seat of the city. The party has re-nominated most of its MLAs who remained with Uddhav Thackeray after the split in Shiv Sena in 2022.
Among the sitting MLAs who got tickets – Aditya Thackeray (Worli), Sunil Prabhu (Dindoshi), Sanjay Potnis (Kalina), Prakash Phatarpekar (Chembur), Ramesh Korgaonkar (Bhandup West), Sunil Raut (Vikhroli), Rutuja Latke (Andheri). ) East), Vaibhav Nike (Kudal), Rajan Salvi (Rajapur), Bhaskar Jadhav (Guhagar), Kailash Patil (Osmanabad), Rahul Patil (Parbhani), Nitin Deshmukh (Balapur), and Uday Singh Rajput (Kannada) are the prominent names.
The only sitting MLA missing from the first list is Ajay Chaudhary, who currently represents Shivadi and serves as the party leader in the assembly. The party is reportedly considering Sudhir Salvi as an alternative candidate for this constituency. Other candidates include Varun Sardesai from Vandre East, Snehal Jagtap from Mahad, Shankarrao Gadakh from Nevasa, Dilip Sopal from Barshi, Sanjay Kadam from Dapoli, K.P. from Radhanagari. Patil, Rajan Teli from Sawantwadi and Bal Mane from Ratnagiri.
Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole said, “We have decided that Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) and Shiv Sena (UBT) will contest on 85-85 seats and on the remaining 18 seats we will talk to our alliance parties including Samajwadi Party and They will get approval by tomorrow. We are contesting the elections as Maha Vikas Aghadi and we will form the government.” Elections for the 288-member assembly in Maharashtra will be held on November 20 and counting of votes will take place on November 23.
