Mumbai: A day before the final day of the nominations, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday filed his nomination for the assembly elections from Kopri-Pachpakhadi constituency in Thane after paying tribute to his political mentor late Anand Dighe and leading a mega roadshow.
Shinde will face off against Shiv Sena (UBT) nominee Kedar Dighe, the nephew of Anand Dighe, from his home turf.
This seat is especially significant for Shinde and the Mahayuti alliance as he has been representing this seat since it was created in 2009.
Fanfare and a show of strength marked the rally with two decorated floral chariots amid cheers from Sena supporters and party workers who danced to traditional drums. Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, MP Dr Shrikant Shinde, MP Naresh Mhaske, MLA Pratap Sarnaik, former MLA Ravindra Phatak, as well as Shinde’s father Sambhaji Shinde, wife Lata Shinde, daughter-in-law Vrushali Shinde and grandson Rudransh were also present at the rally.
Before filing his nomination, Shinde sought blessings from Yogiraj Maharaj Goswami of the Sant Eknath Maharaj lineage.
During the rally Shinde said, “I have worked in the Kopri-Pachpakhadi area and have made a challenging journey from being a ‘shakha pramukh’ of Shiv Sena to becoming the chief minister of the state. Throughout this journey, the voters have always supported me. This time as well, I not only have confidence but also assurance that they will be with me.”
Devendra Fadnavis expressed confidence that Shinde would win with a large margin, breaking his previous records. Fadnavis also stated that legacy is not inherited by blood but through values and actions.
In the 2019 election, before the Shiv Sena split, Shinde won the Kopri-Pachpakhadi seat with over 65% of the vote. Congress’s Sanjay Ghadigaonkar and MNS’s Mahesh Parshuram Kadam followed with over 13% each.
In 1997, he was first elected as a corporator. Later, in 2001, he was given the responsibility of Leader of the House in Thane Municipal Corporation. He was re-elected in 2002 and served as a corporator until 2004. In 2009, he was elected for the first time from the Kopri-Pachpakhadi constituency. In 2014, he was appointed as a cabinet minister in the Shiv Sena-BJP government. In 2022, he parted ways with Uddhav Thackeray, leading a rebellion with 40 MLAs, and subsequently became the chief minister.
