Thackeray faction May Back BJP Rebel In Nashik To Defeat Shinde’s Candidate
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has withdrawn its official candidate from Nashik. Raut indicated that the opposition might indirectly support the BJP rebel candidates to counter the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Mumbai: In a surprising move, the Shiv Sena (UBT) party is likely to support the BJP rebels against the Shinde Sena candidate from the Nashik constituency in the upcoming Maharashtra Vidhan Parishad elections. Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut said that the Shinde Sena is their number one enemy.
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has withdrawn its official candidate from Nashik. Raut indicated that the opposition might indirectly support the BJP rebel candidates to counter the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. It is alleged that this strategy has been orchestrated with the assistance of the BJP itself.
Responding to this, MP Sanjay Raut remarked that the true situation would become clear once the election results are declared.
“The Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) is not, in reality, a formidable political force in Maharashtra; rather, it is a force driven by money. This money has been amassed through corrupt channels and contributions from contractors. It is our firm stance that this brand of politics must come to an end,” Raut said.
Speaking on the possibility of supporting BJP rebels, he noted, “The BJP is neither a benevolent nor a morally pristine party. However, our primary adversary remains the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction).”
In the Nashik Local Bodies’ constituency Legislative Council elections, Shine Sena’s Narendra Darade officially filed his nomination as the Mahayuti alliance’s nominee. However, the ruling alliance is facing a major internal crisis as BJP leaders Ganesh Gite and Gokul Gite have rebelled. Despite the official Mahayuti candidate being in the fray, Ganesh Gite has remained firm on contesting the elections.
The rebellion has caused massive friction within the Mahayuti alliance. Senior Shinde Sena Minister Uday Samant has camped in Nashik to resolve the deadlock, while placing heavy reliance on the BJP’s ‘crisis-manager’ Girish Mahajan to pacify the Gite brothers and ensure their withdrawal.
In the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the seat was allocated to Shiv Sena (UBT), but the party ultimately did not field a candidate, leading to speculations on its stand in the elections.
A total of 14 nomination papers were submitted in Nashik. Several independent candidates and rebels are also in the fray.