Mumbai: Shiv Sainiks, who have worked shoulder to shoulder for many years in a united Shiv Sena, are pitted against each other in the Lok Sabha elections in at least 12 Lok Sabha constituencies. There are 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. This means that in 25 percent of the constituencies, the Shiv Sainiks are challenging each other.
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Union minister Narayan Rane was in the Shiv Sena for many years. He later joined the Congress and later settled in the BJP. In Yavatmal-Washim, Sanjay Deshmukh went to the Congress, then became Independent, joined BJP, and now is in Uddhav Sena. His rival Rajshree Patil of the Shinde Sena had contested the Assembly elections in Nanded on a Shiv Sena ticket. Prataprao Jadhav and Narendra Khedekar, old Shiv Sainiks from Buldhana constituency, are pitted against each other by two different factions. In Hatkanangle, Shinde's Dhairyashil Mane is pitted against Satyajit Patil. Satyajit is once a Shiv Sena MLA and once a Congress MLA.
Shirur is the only constituency where the Sharad Pawar faction and the Ajit Pawar faction are contesting, but both rivals there have been in the Shiv Sena. Dr Amol Kolhe (Sharad Pawar group) and Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil (Ajit Pawar group) are both old Shiv Sainiks.
Where are the matches?Anil Desai, a close aide of 'Matoshree', is contesting from the Mumbai South-Central constituency on the Uddhav Sena ticket. He is pitted against Shinde Sena's Rahul Shewale, who has been closely associated with Matoshree for many years. In Nashik, the Uddhav Sena has fielded former MLA Rajabhau Waze. If Shinde Sena gets this seat in the Grand Alliance, then there will be a fight between two Shiv Sainiks there too.