West Constituency: Entry of Raju Shinde dampens hope of Uddhav Sena aspirants

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The move by former deputy mayor Raju Shinde to leave the BJP and join the Thackeray faction has caused unease among many in the Uddhav Sena. Especially those preparing to contest the assembly elections from the 'West' constituency are now more anxious. If Shinde joins the Thackeray faction, it is speculated that some in the Uddhav Sena might support Shinde Sena's MLA, Sanjay Shirsat, instead.

After the Lok Sabha elections, attention has shifted to the assembly elections. For the past few days, aspirants from the Uddhav Sena have been vigorously preparing to contest from the ‘East’, ‘West’, and 'Centre' constituencies. This preparation includes holding numerous meetings in the constituencies, participating in protests, attending party meetings, and increasing interactions with voters. Shinde Sena's MLA Sanjay Shirsat's ticket for the assembly election from the 'West' constituency is confirmed. Meanwhile, four to five candidates from the Uddhav Sena are preparing to contest from the same constituency, but time will tell who will get the ticket officially.

Amidst this, Raju Shinde announced on Friday that he would be joining the Thackeray faction. Once Shinde joins, it is almost certain that he will be given the assembly ticket from the 'West' by the Uddhav Sena. Therefore, Shinde's entry might dash the hopes of other aspirants from the 'West.' Consequently, there is currently a discussion within the Uddhav Sena about these aspirants taking a different stance in the coming days.

Aspirants in the Uddhav Sena:

After tasting defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, there is talk that Chandrakant Khaire is seeking a ticket to contest from the Uddhav Sena against sitting MLA Sanjay Shirsat from the 'West' constituency in the assembly elections. Besides, Uddhav Sena's tehsil chief Balasaheb Gaikwad, former Zilla Parishad member Ramesh Gaikwad, and district joint contact chief Vijay Salve are reportedly making efforts to secure the candidature from the same constituency.