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Amidst escalating tensions within Maharashtra’s ruling coalition, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of the Shiv Sena unveiled the party’s initial list of eight candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections on Thursday.
The Shinde-led Shiv Sena opted to renominate seven incumbent Members of Parliament (MPs) while notably dropping Krupal Tumane’s name from the Ramtek constituency. In his place, the party nominated former Congress MLA Raju Parve, who recently crossed over to the Shiv Sena.
The eight constituencies in Maharashtra for which the Shiv Sena announced its candidates include Mumbai South Central (Rahul Shewale), Kolhapur (Sanjay Mandalik), Shirdi (Sadashiv Lokhande), Buldhana (Prataprao Jadhav), Hingoli (Hemant Patil), Maval (Shrirang Barne), Ramtek (Raju Parve), and Hatkanangale (Dhairyasheel Mane).
However, the absence of the Kalyan constituency from the initial candidate list, where Shinde’s son Shrikant currently serves as the MP, came as a notable surprise. Additionally, the party did not announce its candidate for Thane, which is considered Shinde’s home turf.
The Shiv Sena’s decisions also included the absence of Bhavana Gawali, a five-time MP from the Yavatmal-Washim constituency, from the list of candidates. Furthermore, the party refrained from declaring candidates for the South Mumbai, Nashik, and Palghar constituencies, which it had won in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
The Thane, Kalyan, Palghar, Nashik, and Ratnagiri Sindhudurg seats have emerged as contentious issues within the ruling alliance, with both the BJP and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP vying for control over these constituencies.
Reports suggest that the BJP is asserting its claim to contest from Kalyan, Thane, Palghar, and Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg. Additionally, there are media speculations that the BJP opposes the Shiv Sena’s proposal to renominate sitting MPs Hemant Godse and Bhavana Gawali from Nashik and Yavatmal, respectively.
The Shiv Sena’s announcement of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections sets the stage for intensified political negotiations within the ruling coalition as both parties strive to secure crucial seats in Maharashtra.
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