MVA rift out in open as Shiv Sena (UBT) names 17 candidates for LS polls, Ambedkar’s VBA 8

 Rift came out in the open in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), coalition partners in Maharashtra on Wednesday as the Shiv Sena (UBT) announced 17 candidates for the coming Lok Sabha elections, including for seats that were eyed upon by the Congress. Moreover, the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar announced eight Lok Sabha candidates in the state, signalling the outfit is no longer pursuing an alliance with the MVA.

A key constituent of the Opposition MVA, the Shiv Sena (UBT) said it will contest a total of 22 seats in the state. It nominated former Union ministers Anant Geete and Arvind Sawant from Raigad and South Mumbai constituencies respectively.

It re-nominated all five sitting Lok Sabha MPs, who stayed with party chief Uddhav Thackeray, following the outfit’s split in 2022. These lawmakers are Arvind Sawant (South Mumbai), Rajan Vichare (Thane), Vinayak Raut (Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg), Omraje Nimbalkar (Dharashiv) and Sanjay Jadhav (Parbhani).

The Sena (UBT) also fielded its Rajya Sabha member Anil Desai from Mumbai South-Central, party leader Sanjay Raut said. With this, the party has now fielded four candidates from Mumbai.

Congress legislative party leader Balasaheb Thorat said the Sena (UBT) should have avoided declaring candidates for Sangli and seats in Mumbai where discussions were still on. Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad who is said to be one of the aspirants, said she had conveyed her unhappiness to the party leadership.

Thorat objected to the Shiv Sena (UBT) announcing its candidates for the Bhiwandi, Mumbai South Central and Sangli Lok Sabha seats, saying MVA partners must stick to “coalition dharma”. He urged Sena (UBT) to reconsider its decision.

However, his party colleague Sanjay Nirupam adopted a more belligerent stand, attacking their leadership for letting the Uddhav Thackeray-led outfit grab most of the seats in Mumbai.

Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituents Congress, Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) have been holding seat-sharing discussions for the 48 constituencies in Maharashtra, where the Lok Sabha polls will be held in five phases starting April 19.

The Sena (UBT) also fielded veteran party leader Chandrakant Khaire from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Khaire had lost to All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) candidate Imtiaz Jaleel in 2019.

From Mumbai North-East, the party fielded Sanjay Patil, a former Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA and MP who later joined the Shiv Sena.

From Mumbai North-West, the party nominated Amol Kirtikar, son of Shiv Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar, who owes allegiance to CM Shinde-led Sena. The party also named Narendra Khedekar as its candidate from Buldhana, Sanjay Deshmukh from Yavatmal-Washim, Sanjog Waghere-Patil from Maval, Rajabhau Waje from Nashik, Bhausaheb Wakchaure from Shirdi and Nagesh Patil Ashtikar from Hingoli.

Another MVA ally, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) is yet to officially declare its candidates for the April-May Lok Sabha polls. On the other hand, the Congress, which is also a part of the state-level grouping of the opposition parties, has declared its candidates on some seats where there is no tussle with its alliance partners.

Maharashtra, which has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second highest after Uttar Pradesh (80), will vote in five phases starting from April 19. The senior Congress leader also lamented that Ambedkar had announced a separate list of candidates.

“Considering the prevailing political situation in the country, the Congress made a genuine attempt to reach out to all parties who believe in democracy and the Constitution,” he said.

Addressing a press conference here, B R Ambedkar’s grandson, who himself will contest from Akola, accused MVA allies of trying to use his outfit to promote dynastic politics, which he asserted, his party is trying to resist.

The VBA has fielded Sanjay Kewat from Bhandara-Gondiya, Hitesh Madavi from Gadchiroli, Rajesh Belle from Chandrapur, Vasant Magar from Buldhana, Ambedkar from Akola, Prakajkta Pillewan from Amravati, Rajendra Salunkhe from Wardha and Khemsingh Pawar from Yavatmal-Washim.

MVA constituents Congress, Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) have been holding seat-sharing discussions for the 48 constituencies in Maharashtra, where the Lok Sabha polls will be held in five phases starting April 19.