Maharashtra Assembly elections: Of six former MLAs in race, only two still with original parties

All of them tell mid-day they are ready to contest Assembly poll if told to do so by high command

Six former MLAs, including two former ministers from Mumbai, are in the Assembly election race. Two of them will contest the poll as members of a new party while two will seek to be elected under a new boss. Naseem Khan of Congress, one of the former ministers, said, “Party workers want me to contest from Chandivli. I have already started preparing. The party will decide soon.” In 2019, the leader lost the election by 400 votes.

Atul Shah, ex-legislator BJP, Ashok Patil, former MLA of Bhandup West, Mangesh Sangle, former Vikholi MLA, Tukaram Kate, Shiv Sena leader

BJP leader Atul Shah was elected in 1999 from the Khetwadi Assembly constituency, which is no longer in existence. In 2014, he contested the poll from the Mumbadevi constituency but lost. Later, the party asked him to contest the civic election and in 2017, he won by one vote against Shiv Sena's Surendra Bagalkar. “I’m always ready. If the party asks me to contest the election, I will do so,” Shah said.

New affiliations

Kripashankar Singh, former minister and two-time Congress MLA could contest the Assembly election from Kalina. The leader, who joined BJP in 2021, unsuccessfully fought the recent Lok Sabha election from Uttar Pradesh. “I’m not willing to contest the Assembly election. But if ordered to do so, I will contest,” said Singh.

Mangesh Sangle, a former MLA of Vikholi, won the Assembly election in 2009 on an MNS ticket. However, he lost in 2014 to Shiv Sena’s Sunil Raut. Later, he joined the BJP. “I’m ready to contest the election, but the party will take a decision on this,” Sangle said.

Kripashankar Singh, BJP leader

Ashok Patil, former MLA of Bhandup West, is now with the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. He is ready to contest the election from the same constituency. He was a three-time corporator and became a legislator in 2014. In the 2019 election, the party gave a ticket to Ramesh Korgaoankar. “Yes, I have started preparations for the election. The party had given me the green signal,” Patil said.

Tukaram Kate, another former MLA of the Shiv Sena, won the Assembly election from Anushakti Nagar in 2014. He then lost in 2019 against NCP former minister Nawab Malik. “The party has already asked me to contest the election from Chembur. I'm ready to contest the election,” Kate said.

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