MVA allies concur on 85 Assembly seats each, Shiv Sena-UBT releases first list of 65 candidates

Mumbai: Maharashtra’s opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Congress-Shiv Sena-UBT-Nationalist Congress Party-SP on Wednesday finalised their respective candidates for 85 seats each — totalling 255 out of the total 288 — after hectic deliberations.

Simultaneously, the Shiv Sena-UBT released its first list of 65 nominees for the November 20 Assembly elections as it welcomed leaders from different parties to its fold during the day.

Speaking to media persons, state Congress President Nana Patole, state NCP-SP President Jayant R. Patil and Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut said that they have finalised 85 seats each and candidates.

They said that agreement has been reached on 270 of the total 288 Assembly seats and the remaining 18 shall be finalised in a day or so — belying earlier rumours floating in political circles.

Besides the seats for the three main allies, the MVA shall also allocate seats to other allies like the Samajwadi Party, the Peasants & Workers Party, the CPI, the CPI-M, and other smaller parties.

“Everything is proceeding smoothly… There is no credence to the speculation that ‘this will happen or that will not happen’. All the MVA allies are going to contest the elections together,” declared Raut, as Patole and Patil nodded their consent.

Nevertheless, the allies, particularly Congress and Shiv Sena-UBT are likely to push hard to increase their share by almost three figures which could cause heart-burns among the smaller partners, and the final seat-share figures are likely to be announced on Thursday, in time for the last date for filing nominations (October 29).

Taking the lead, Shiv Sena-UBT announced its first list of 65 candidates comprising a mix of party loyalists, a few sitting MLAs, many new faces, youth and women, and several newcomers from other parties.

In Thane’s Kopri-Pachpakhadi constituency, it has fielded Kedar Dighe who will lock horns with ruling Shiv Sena’s Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, which would be one of the top key contests in the state.

Other important candidates are former Minister Aditya Thackeray (Worli), Mahesh Sawant (Mahim) who will be pitted against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s Youth President Amit (Raj) Thackeray, and Varun Sardesai (Bandra East).

Some more prominent nominees are Sanjay Kadam (Dapoli), Bhaskar Jadhav (Guhagar), Rajan Salvi (Rajapur), Vaibhav Naik (Kudal), Rajan Teli (Sawantwadi), Snehal Jagtap (Mahad), Rajan Vichare (Thane), Satyajeet A. Patil and (Shahuwadi).

In Mumbai, the nominees are Rutuja Latke (Andheri East), Sanjay Potnis (Kalina), Sunil Prabhu (Dindoshi) and Sameer Desai (Goregaon), as per a party statement.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena-UBT President Uddhav Thackeray was on his feet all day tying the ‘Shiv Bandhan’ to welcoming new entrants from different parties to his party fold ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

They included Congress Buldhana Secretary Advocate Jaishree Shelke, ruling ally Nationalist Congress Party’s Vice-President Apoorva Hire, Anuradha Nagwade, and Rajendra Nagwade, Ratnagiri Bharatiya Janata Party leader Bal Yashwant Mane, and noted leader from Kolhapur K. P. Patil.

–IANS