The Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of Shiv Sena is keen to contest 8 out of the 10 Lok Sabha constituencies in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region with some give and take in the next elections, sources said on Tuesday.
Thackeray has been engaged in discussions with party workers and leaders over the past few days. On Tuesday, he had a meeting with office-bearers representing the Mumbai North East and the Mumbai North Lok Sabha constituencies.
According to a report of PTI, The Shiv Sena (undivided) had won three of the total six LS constituencies in Mumbai in 2019 when it contested in alliance with BJP. Besides Mumbai South, Mumbai South Central, and Mumbai Northwest seats, the Shiv Sena had also won Kalyan, Thane, and Palghar seats in the last elections.
Shiv Sena (UBT) has now staked claims to Kalyan, represented by CM Shinde’s son Shrikant Shinde, Thane, Palghar, and Bhiwandi seats in the MMR region along with the Mumbai North East. We have a candidate in the former Mumbai North East MP Sanjay Dina Patil who has joined Shiv Sena (UBT) and we are keen to contest from this seat. We are ready to leave Mumbai North Central and Mumbai North seats for the Congress and the NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT) sources said.
BJP’s Poonam Mahajan had defeated Priya Dutt of Congress from Mumbai North Central. The Mumbai North seat is a BJP fortress. In 2019, sitting MP Gopal Shetty won with a huge margin by defeating actor-turned-politician Urmila Matondkar, who contested on Congress ticket.