Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Pradeep Sharma's wife won't fight polls as Independent candidate from Andheri East

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Swikruti Sharma, the wife of former controversial encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma, has withdrawn her candidature from the Andheri (East) constituency.

Speaking to mid-day, she said that she belongs to the Shiv Sena and that Chief Minister (CM) Eknath Shinde had publicly assured her of a Member of Legislative Council (MLC) position if the party comes to power. Citing this assurance, she explained that she has thus withdrawn her nomination.

Sharma had decided to fight the Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024 as an Independent after she was denied a ticket from Shiv Sena. Her daughter, Niketa, who had also filed her nomination as an Independent has withdrawn her candidature. Niketa had decided to contest from the seat in case her mother's application got rejected. While both the applications were accepted, the duo decided to withdraw their respective candidatures after CM's assurance.

The party has instead decided to field Murji Patel from the constituency for the Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024. On Sunday, CM Shinde had campaigned for Patel and Manisha Waikar, who will be contesting from Jogeshwari (East).

Sharma had joined Shiv Sena in July and there were speculations that she would be given a ticket from the Andheri (East) Assembly constituency.

Meanwhile, Avinash Rane, who had filed his nomination on a Shiv Sena ticket from Anushakti Nagar, has also withdrawn his nomination. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), an ally of Shiv Sena, has fielded Sana Malik, the daughter of former minister Nawab Malik, from the seat.

Party bigger than individual: BJP leader Gopal Shetty on withdrawing nomination

After withdrawing his candidature as independent from the Borivali Assembly seat in Mumbai for the Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gopal Shetty said on Monday that the interest of the party is above that of individual leaders.

According to ANI, Shetty said that there were never any substantial differences with his party leadership.

"There were never any differences. There were things related to a particular issue. I think it has reached the right place," Shetty told reporters in Mumbai.

"There is no need to say what happened and how it happened. But I would like to say that party is supreme, individuals are smaller," he added.

Shetty, a two-time Member of Parliament (MP) from the Mumbai North Lok Sabha seat, had rebelled against BJP after it gave ticket to Sanjay Upadhyay to contest from the seat, reported ANI.

Earlier, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis had said that the rebels are also their people and exuded confidence that the party will be successful in making everyone understand.

"They (rebels) are also our own people, it is our duty to make them understand, sometimes there is a lot of anger but they have formed their mindset in the larger interest of the party, I am confident that we will be successful in making everyone understand," Fadnavis said on November 2.

(With ANI inputs)