Shiv Sena (UBT) releases first list of 17 candidates; sparks strong criticism from Cong.
The Shiv Sena (UBT), a partner in the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), on Wednesday released its first list of 17 candidates from Maharashtra for the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
The naming of candidates for Sangli and Mumbai SouthCentral seats sparked strong criticism from the Congress, a coalition partner, which said that talks were still on to finalise a seatsharing formula. Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats.
Congress leaders said the MVA partners must stick to the “coalition dharma” and asked the Uddhav Thackerayled Sena to reconsider its decision. “Announcing candidates while discussions are still on is an insult to ‘Aghadi dharma’,” Congress leaders Balasaheb Thorat and Vijay Wadettiwar said.
Mr. Thorat said their party was firm on contesting from Sangli, Bhiwandi, and Mumbai’s SouthCentral.
Mumbai Congress Com
Congress MLA Vishwajeet Kadam meets K.C. Venugopal.
mittee chief and Dalit leader Varsha Gaikwad, who was looking to contest from the SouthCentral constituency, said the Sena (UBT) should not have unilaterally announced candidates for those two seats, where consensus among the allies had not yet been reached. “We have expressed our displeasure with our party leaders and will take further steps as directed…,” the Dharavi MLA said.
Congress MLA Vishwajeet Kadam met All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal in New Delhi, urging the party to nominate Vishal Patil, the grandson of former Chief Minister Vasantdada Patil, for the
Sangli Lok Sabha seat. Mr. Kadam also met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Key sources told The Hindu that the grand old party was firm on fielding Mr. Vishal Patil from Sangli and Ms. Gaikwad from Mumbai SouthCentral, even if the Sena (UBT) fails to reconsider its decision.
The Sena (UBT) fielded wrestler Chandrahar Patil from Sangli and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Desai from the SouthCentral seats.
The list of candidates includes former Union Ministers Anant Geete from the Raigad constituency and Arvind Sawant from the South Mumbai constituency. The party has also reaffirmed the nomination of all five MPs who stayed loyal to its leader and former CM Uddhav Thackeray following the 2022 split. Additionally, the Uddhavled Sena has chosen its youth wing leader, Amol Kirtikar, to contest from the Mumbai NorthWest seat, currently represented by his father, Gajanan Kirtikar, who has since aligned with the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde.