Maharashtra polls: Shiv Sena (UBT) releases 1st list of 65 candidates, Aaditya Thackeray to contest from Worli

Aaditya Thackeray. File Pic

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday released its first list of 65 candidates for the Maharashtra Assembly election 2024.

The party has nominated Aaditya Thackeray to contest from Worli constituency in central Mumbai from where he is the sitting MLA.

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Aaditya Thackeray's cousin and Shiv Sena's Yuva Sena leader Varun Sardesai would contest from Bandra (East) seat in the western suburbs of the city.

The party has renominated most of its MLAs who stayed with Uddhav Thackeray after the split in the Shiv Sena in 2022.

In Thane's Kopri-Panchpakhadi seat, where Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is in the fray, the Shiv Sena (UBT) fielded Kedar Dighe who is the nephew of late Shiv Sena leader Anand Dighe, considered to be CM Shinde's political mentor.

In Mahim in central Mumbai, Sena (UBT)'s Mahesh Sawant will take on the Shiv Sena's Sada Sarvankar and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's Amit Thackeray, son of MNS chief Raj Thackeray, in a triangular contest.

The Sena (UBT) fielded former MP Rajan Vichare, who lost the Lok Sabha election earlier this year, from the Thane city assembly seat. Vichare had represented the seat from 2009 until he won the Lok Sabha polls in 2014.

Satyajit Patil, who unsuccessfully contested from Hatkanangale Lok Sabha seat, has been fielded from Shahuwadi in Kolhapur district.

Some turncoats also found place in the Sena (UBT)'s first list. Former MP Unmesh Patil, who joined the party after the BJP denied him a Lok Sabha ticket, was fielded from Chalisgaon in Jalgaon district.

Meanwhile, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance of Congress, the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP SP), and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday announced to contest 85 seats each in Maharashtra assembly election 2024 even as deliberations to seal a final seat-sharing pact are still underway.

Addressing a press conference, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said consensus has been reached on 270 out of total 288 seats for the November 20 elections.

"We will include Samajwadi Party, PWP, CPI(M), CPI, and AAP. Discussions are still on for the remaining seats. We have amicably arrived at a consensus on 270 seats. MVA stands united to defeat the Mahayuti government," Sanjay Raut said, according to the PTI.

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said the rest of the seats will be left for smaller parties.

Earlier, Maharashtra Congress leaders on Wednesday met NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar to break MVA seat-sharing deadlock, reported the PTI.

According to the PTI, the Leader of Opposition in the assembly Vijay Wadettiwar of the Congress, MPCC president Nana Patole and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Balasaheb Thorat met Sharad Pawar at YB Chavan Centre in south Mumbai as part of efforts to iron out differences among MVA constituents for the allocation of seats ahead of the November 20 polls for the 288-member house.

Nana Patole said that the talks are still on over four to five assembly seats with competing claims and the matter will be resolved soon.

(with PTI inputs)