In Maharashtra, Uddhav Sena's candidates list sets off fresh rumblings in MVA

Mumbai: The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) plunged into crisis on Wednesday after Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) unilaterally announced 17 candidates, including for some of the contentious seats, even while seat-sharing discussions were underway.

The announcement of names by the Shiv Sena (UBT) has rattled its MVA alliance partners in Maharashtra.

Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat said that it was "not proper" to announce the candidates while discussions were under way for some seats. “While discussions were underway for some seats, candidates have been declared by Shiv Sena (UBT)…this is not proper,” he said.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar said: “It would have been proper, if Shiv Sena (UBT) had followed the coalition-dharma,”

While Thackeray has not commented so far, his close aide and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said that everything is in order. 

Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam, who was one of the aspirants for Mumbai North West seat, openly came out against the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the grand old party’s team of negotiators who were in seat-sharing talks.

"I want to tell this to the top leadership (of Congress) that I will wait for a maximum one week more and then will make a decision. All options are open for me, I am not in an option-less situation,” Nirupam said.

Referring to Amol Kirtikar, who has been nominated by the Sena (UBT) from Mumbai North-West, as 'khichdi chor', Nirupam said, "We will not work for khichdi chor candidates,”

In a no-holds-barred attack on Thackeray, he added, "It means out of six seats in Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) will contest five seats, and one seat has been left for the Congress like some charity," he said. 

Anil Desai, Arvind Sawant among Uddav Sena's 17 candidates

The Shiv Sena list includes four Mumbai seats: Mumbai South (Arvind Sawant), Mumbai South-Central (Anil Desai), Mumbai North-East (Sanjay Dina Patil) and Mumbai North-West (Amol Kirtikar). 

Sawant, a sitting MP, has been renominated. 

While Nirupam was keen to contest from Mumbai North West, Mumbai Congress president Prof Varsha Gaikwad was interested in Mumbai South Central.

The nomination of Sanjay Dina Patil, who is a former NCP MP from Mumbai North-East and later joined the Shiv Sena (UBT), has rattled the NCP (SCP), leading to a group of workers staging an impromptu protest outside the party office. 

Interestingly, wrestler Chandrahar Patil has been fielded from Sangli, the seat that the Congress was insisting on for Vishwajeet Kadam. 

While Rajan Vichare will contest from Thane, Vinayak Raut has been given a ticket from Ratnagiri Sindhudurg. Sitting MPs Sanjay Jadhav (Parbhani) and Omraje Nimbalkar (Osmanabad) have also been renominated.

In a related development, Leader of the Opposition in Council Ambadas Danve is upset as he has not been considered for the Aurangabad seat and five-time ex-MP Chandrakant Khaire, who lost the last election, has been fielded.

There were speculations that Danve might join the BJP or Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, however, he had repeatedly denied.