Some ticket aspirants, by hook or crook, want to jump into the fray; having been rebuffed by the BIP, nearly 16 party leaders have secured nominations by joining the Shiv Sena and NCP, both part of the Mahayuti alliance. So, 12 of them will be contesting from Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, while the four others have been given nominations by the NCP led by Ajit Pawar.
In constituencies where a candidate has a strong chance of winning and the seat has gone to the Shinde or Ajit Pawar factions, these candidates have joined the respective parties just before filing their nominations in order to secure their candidacies. BIP leader and former Union Minister Narayan Rane’s son, Nilesh Rane, has been nominated by the Shiv Sena to contest from Kudal-Malvan. BIP leader and former Union Minister Raosaheh Danves daughter, Sanjana, denied tickets by the BJP will contest the Kannad assembly constituency on a Shiv Sena ticket. Former BIP leader Rajendra Gavit is standing from the Palghar assembly constituency on behalf of the Shiv Sena.
Vilas Tare has decided to contest from Boisarand Santosh Shetty; the BIP leader from Bhiwandi East joined the Shiv Sena and secured a nomination; senior BJP leader Murji Patel from Andheri also joined the Shinde Shiv Sena right before the election and will be contesting from the Andheri East Assembly constituency. BIP’s Ajit Pingle has also been given a nomination by the Shiv Sena to contest from the Dharashiv constituency.
Former MP Sujay Vikhe Patil was interested in contesting from the Sangamner constituency, but as that seat went to Shiv Sena, BJP’s Amol Khatal received the Shiv Sena ticket.
Shaina NC, who was expected to be the BJP candidate from Worli and has served the party for many years, has instead been given a nomination by the Shiv Sena to contest from Mumbadevi. Digvijay Bagal, who joined the BJP six months ago, has decided to join the Shiv Sena after the Karmala seat was allocated to them within the Mahayuti alliance, securing his nomination from there.
Vitthal Langhe from Nevasa and Baliram Kshirsagar from Balapur, both former BJP members, have also received nominations from the Shiv Sena. Additionally, former minister Rajkumar Badole, former MP Pratap Patil Chikhalikar, former MP Sanjaykaka Patil, and Nishikant Patil, who joined Ajit Pawar’s faction from the BJP, have been given nominations by the NCP.
