The Shiv Sena (UBT) has announced its first list of candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly election in 2024. The party has nominated Aaditya Thackeray to contest from the Worli constituency in central Mumbai, where he is the current sitting MLA. Additionally, Varun Sardesai, cousin of Aaditya Thackeray and Yuva Sena leader, will be contesting from the Bandra (East) seat in the western suburbs of the city.
The party has also renominated most of its MLAs who remained loyal to Uddhav Thackeray after the split in the Shiv Sena in 2022. In a strategic move, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has fielded Kedar Dighe in Thane’s Kopri-Panchpakhadi seat, where Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is contesting. Kedar Dighe is the nephew of late Shiv Sena leader Anand Dighe, who is considered to be CM Shinde’s political mentor.
Moreover, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, comprising the Congress, the NCP, and the Shiv Sena (UBT), has announced that each party will contest 85 seats in the upcoming election. Discussions are still ongoing to finalize the seat-sharing pact. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut highlighted that consensus has been reached on 270 out of the total 288 seats, with discussions still ongoing for the remaining seats. The alliance aims to stand united to defeat the Mahayuti government.
In efforts to resolve any seat-sharing deadlock within the MVA alliance, Maharashtra Congress leaders recently met with NCP chief Sharad Pawar. The Leader of Opposition in the assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar, along with MPCC president Nana Patole and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Balasaheb Thorat, met with Sharad Pawar to iron out any differences among the MVA constituents regarding seat allocations for the upcoming polls.
Nana Patole mentioned that discussions are ongoing for four to five assembly seats with competing claims, and the matter is expected to be resolved soon. As the election date approaches, the political landscape in Maharashtra is heating up, with various parties making strategic moves and alliances to secure victory in the upcoming polls. Stay tuned for more updates on the Maharashtra Assembly election as the campaign season unfolds.
