Maharashtra politics: The Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena have reached an agreement to field Eknath Shinde’s son Shrikant Shinde from the contentious Kalyan Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra in next year’s general election, sources said on Tuesday (September 26).
The BJP may get the Thane Lok Sabha seat in lieu of the Kalyan seat, both of which have been the strongholds of the Shiv Sena for a number of years, sources added.
While Eknath Shinde is an MLA from Thane, his son Shrikant is an MP from Kalyan. Kalyan is considered a bastion of Shiv Sena as in 2009, Anand Paranjpe had fought on the party’s ticket in Kalyan and had registered victory. After him, in 2014 and 2019, Shrikant Shinde won the election on the ticket (BJP and undivided Shiv Sena were then in alliance).
“There is almost an agreement between the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shinde's Shiv Sena that only Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's son Shrikant Shinde should be given ticket from Kalyan Lok Sabha seat,” sources said.
“BJP may get Thane Lok Sabha seat in lieu of Kalyan seat. Shinde may give up his stronghold Thane seat to save his son’s current Kalyan seat,” they added.
Shrikant Shinde is the current MP from Kalyan seat while Uddhav Thackeray Sena's Rajan Vichare is the current MP from Thane Lok Sabha seat.
What was the dispute?
BJP and Shiv Sena, though allies in the Maharashtra government, were reeling under fierce dispute over the allocation of the Kalyan seat in the last few months.
The local workers of the BJP wanted the party’s candidate to be given a ticket on the Kalyan seat as the party considers itself strong on the ground. However, the workers of the Shiv Sena have always opposed the BJP’s demand.
Earlier, BJP leader and Union Minister Anurag Thakur visited Kalyan and took stock of the seat.
The conflict between the two parties could be ascertained by Shrikant Shinde’s remark in which he had said that he could resign, angered by the controversy.
In 1996, Thackeray had sought this seat from BJP under the alliance agreement. Since then, Shiv Sena has been continuously contesting elections from this seat.
According to sources, senior leaders of both the parties have decided that due to mutual disputes, Kalyan Lok Sabha seat should not be lost from the hands of NDA.
“Therefore, instead of the candidate, priority should be given to how to win this seat,” sources said.
ALSO READ | Maharashtra: Ajit Pawar says he will speak to CM Shinde, Fadnavis on Muslim quota in education
ALSO READ | Maharashtra: Congress targets CM Shinde, predicts 'significant' change in September
