Rebel candidates in Maharashtra have increased tension between Mahayuti and Mahavikas Aghadi.
Nominations for the Maharashtra Assembly elections are over. Now the campaign has begun to gain momentum, but the rebel candidates in the race are raising tension. Be it the Mahayuti ruler or the opposition Mahavikas Aghadi alliance. There are around 50 candidates from both sides who are on the path of rebellion. Now there are only 3 more days to convince them because November 4 is the last date for the withdrawal of nominations.
Talking about the Shiv Sena of the ruling Shinde group, the BJP and the NCP of the Ajit Pawar group, around 36 rebel candidates are in the fray. In this, there are 9 Shiv Sena candidates from the Shinde faction who have filed nominations even after failing to get tickets. This includes Airoli in Navi Mumbai, Andheri East in Mumbai, Belapur in Thane and Pechora headquarters in Jalgaon district.
CM Shinde is busy convincing his rebel leaders
Of all of them, the Andheri East seat is the most debated. Sankti Sharma, wife of former match specialist Pradeep Sharma, has also contested from here. Sankta Sharma had joined the Shiv Sena from the Shinde faction a few months ago. Since then, discussion on his candidature had also started but at the last moment, Shinde surprised everyone by introducing BJP leader Murji Patel from here. In political circles it is said that the Shinde group is trying to convince him to accept, but he is not willing to accept.
On the other hand, there are around 10 BJP candidates who have taken a rebellious stance and contested against the Shiv Sena candidate of the Shinde faction. Seats like Karjat, Buldhana of Raigarh, Boriwali, Alibaug and Jalna of Mumbai suburb are included. The party high command is busy convincing the remaining BJP leaders who have filed nominations for all these seats. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis himself is said to be busy convincing the rebel leaders.
The tension against Ajit Pawar’s group also
The situation is similar with the Ajit Pawar group’s NCP. The party’s rebel candidate filed his nomination from the Nashik headquarters in Nandgaon. Apart from this, there are around 9 seats where BJP candidates have defeated NCP candidates, while in 7 Shiv Sena rebel leaders have filed their nominations. The situation is such that the leaders of the parties involved in the grand alliance are keeping an eye on the state high command. Pressure is building to stop the rebels and withdraw the nomination.
Even Mahavikas Aghadi is no stranger to rebels.
Mahavikas Aghadi in the state has also not been left untouched by the rebel leaders. Four rebel Congress leaders have raised alarm against the candidates of the alliance partners. This includes Kopri Pachpakhadi headquarters in Thane, Mumbai’s Bykul and Ramtek headquarters in Nagpur.
Currently, the party is making efforts to persuade the rebel leaders. Shiv Sena rebel leader Uddhav Thackeray faction has put tension on MVACO by filing his nomination for the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar seat. Even in the Versova and Buldhana seats, the rebel leader has posed a fresh challenge to the alliance.
Viewed this way, both the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Mahavikas Aghadi have only three days left to convince their respective leaders. If the high command convinces these leaders in these three days, everything will be fine; Otherwise, the direction and condition of Maharashtra politics may change.
