Uddhav Thackeray declares candidate from Mumbai North-West, Angers Congress

Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday (March 9) announced Amol Kirtikar as Shiv Sena UBT’s candidate from Mumbai North-West Lok Sabha constituency even though the deliberations for the seats among the Maha Vikas Aghadi are underway, upsetting ally Congress ahead of the general elections due April-May. Thackeray made the announcement while addressing party workers in the constituency, even though the seat-sharing talks among the MVA allies remain inconclusive.

Notably, Amol's father and sitting MP from the seat Gajanan Kirtikar is affiliated to the rival Shiv Sena headed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam has been staking claim on the seat for the Lok Sabha elections, however, with the premature announcement by Thackeray, tensions are likely to shoot up within the state alliance partners who are also a part of the Opposition’s grand alliance at the national level ‘.I.N.D.I.A’.

"In MVA, the dispute between the Uddhav faction and Congress on Mumbai's North-West Lok Sabha seat increased. Uddhav announced the name of Amol Kirtikar before the MVA seat distribution was decided. Congress is very angry with this announcement of Uddhav," sources said.Several parties have declared their candidates on various seats. Sanjay Nirupam, who is one of the claimants of this seat, hit out at Thackeray and asked if he announced the candidate before the official announcement to "humiliate" Congress.