The Nashik Lok Sabha seat is likely to go to the NCP led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in the seat-sharing arrangement of Mahayuti. In Nashik, NCP leader and state cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal is likely to be nominated for the Lok Sabha by the Grand Alliance. Meanwhile, Bhujbal has made a big revelation about his candidature. "Ajit Pawar has asked the Grand Alliance for the Nashik seat. But if you want to take this seat, then take it, but from there, Ajit Pawar and Praful Patel were told to field Chhagan Bhujbal," he claimed.
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It was also said that Chhagan Bhujbal was asked by the BJP leadership to contest on the Lotus symbol. Bhujbal, however, denied the rumors. "No one has asked me to fight on this symbol," Bhujbal said.
Meanwhile, Chhagan Bhujbal's statement about his candidature has triggered a debate on whether the BJP high command is interfering in Ajit Pawar's party's candidature as well.
Thackeray decided, when will Mahayuti announce candidate?
It has been almost two weeks since Rajabhau Waze's name was officially announced by the Maha Vikas Aghadi for the Nashik seat. Therefore, getting more and more time for Waze's campaign at a time when the Grand Alliance is playing the candidate announcement game may be the most troublesome for the Grand Alliance candidate. With just 40 days left for campaigning, the three parties of the Grand Alliance have been adamant, leading to speculation that the nomination process is not complicated.
Is Ajit Pawar likely to get the Nashik seat?
The BJP has demanded that Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's NCP vacate the Satara seat as BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Udayanraje Bhosale is keen to contest re-election from Satara. In return, the alliance is in talks to give up the Nashik Lok Sabha seat to the NCP. However, the candidate for Nashik is yet to be announced as the Shiv Sena, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has strongly opposed the move.