LS polls: Sena takes on Sena in S Mumbai

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has drawn a list of 11 probable candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, prominent among them being Bala Nandgaonkar, who is technically still in the Shiv Sena.

He is likely to contest from south Mumbai, queering the pitch for sitting Sena MP Mohan Rawle, reported the Times of India.

Nandgaonkar, a close confidant of Raj Thackeray, is yet to be inducted into the MNS and continues to remain a Sena MLA. This is because if he defects then he stands to lose his seat. But with the assembly elections scheduled for September, he is likely to leave the Sena and join Raj's party now, sources said.

Said an MNS leader, "We have shortlisted certain candidates and Nandgaonkar's name is being proposed. But only Raj Thackeray will make the final announcement at a rally in Nashik in the next few days."

Both Raj and Nandgaonkar were not available for comment.

Among others who figure in the list are senior MNS functionaries and spokespersons Shishir Shinde and Shirish Parkar. While Shinde is likely to contest from Mumbai north-east, Parkar may be fielded against BJP's Ram Naik in the north constituency.

Both of them have been actively involved in agitations on the "sons-of-the-soil" issue and in the anti-north Indian campaigns in the past two years. Sources said names of candidates who are being considered for other seats are Shweta Parulekar for Mumbai south-central, Shilpa Sarpotdar for north-central and Shalini Thackeray from Mumbai north-west constituency.

While Rajan Raje seems to be a preferred candidate from Thane, sources said names of Hemant Godse from Nashik-an MNS stronghold-and Subhash Patil from Aurangabad also figure in the list. The MNS also plans to field candidates from Kalyan and Pune seats.

Said a BJP leader, who did not wish to be named, "Some of our lower rung party workers are not happy with the Sena in a few constituencies and they are either joining the MNS or have decided to indirectly support parties opposed to the Shiv Sena." In south Mumbai, some senior BJP functionaries are upset over their "traditional" seat being given to the Sena.

"The BJP supporters may not necessarily vote for the Sena and it will be a big challenge for Rawle."

Shiv Sena leader Subhash Desai rubbished it, stating that Rawle commanded a good votebank in the constituency. "Our party has been working at the grassroot level and we are certain that our sitting MP will win the seat," he claimed.

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