BJP-SENA set for another face off in council elections

MUMBAI:THE two-hour long meeting between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has not managed to thaw relations between the saffron allies for the upcoming legislative council polls.

The polls, which are to be held on June 25, will see the saffron allies take on one another. Of the total four seats going for polls, the ruling allies have fielded their candidates against each other on three seats.

The seats comprise Mumbai graduates’ and Konkan graduates’ constituencies and Mumbai teachers’ constituency. All the four seats will witness a multicorner contest as parties like the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) and Lok Bharti Party, too, are in the fray, making it a tough contest for all the candidates. The Congress, which does not have any stake in these elections, has come out in support of NCP, PWP and Lok Bharti Party.

Shiv Sena has a stronghold in Mumbai, but the BJP can play spoilsport, leading to further tensions between the allies.

BJP has pitted Dr Amit Mehta against Sena’s Vilas Potnis, for graduates constituency in Mumbai, while Congress and NCP have extended their support to

PWP candidate, advocate Rajendra Korde. In all 14 candidates are in the fray. The BJP’S move is being seen as counterstrategy after Sena decided to field its candidate for Palghar Lok Sabha constituency, held recently.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced polls for teachers’ and graduates’ constituencies with two members each elected to the upper house.

For Nashik teachers’ constituency, the Congress and NCP have again come together against BJP candidate Aniket Patil, son of former union minister and Congress leader Vijay Patil. This is the only seat where the saffron allies are not competing against each other.