Mumbai: BJP candidate Murji Patel files nomination for Andheri east bypoll

MUMBAI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena candidate Murji Patel on Friday filed his nomination for the Andheri East bypoll.
Friday is the last day for filing of nominations. Elections will be held on November 3.
The filing of nominations was preceded by a show of strength with BJP Mumbai unit president along with Deepak Kesarkar of the Shinde faction joining the long march to the nomination office at the Gundavali BMC school near Manjrekar wadi, Andheri East.
Union minister Narayan Rane too made a brief appearance while his son and Kankavli assembly constituency MLA Nitesh Rane joined the procession. MLC Pravin Darekar too made an appearance.
Shelar poured scorn on the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) terming it a "Radki Sena" (Crying Sena).
"While in government they cried in the name of the Centre, in opposition they cry in the name of the court and sometimes Election Commission of India (ECI). If they lose the Andheri East elections they will blame the Andheri residents," he said.
Shelar alleged Thackeray Sena’s Anil Parab has had to arrange party workers from Bandra to Dahisar for its show of strength.
"In our case it is a flood of local residents. Murji Patel will win the election with a margin of over 25,000 votes," asserted Shelar.
Pointing to Patel’s popularity, Kesarkar observed that women were addressing their candidate as "Murji Kaka" and local citizens had lined up along the road cheering Patel.
He said Thackeray Sena candidate Rutuja Latke’s resignation drama was nothing but an attempt to gain sympathy.
The procession which started from a BMC ground at Sher-E-Punjab wound it’s way via Nelco signal, Holy Family School, Hotel Sai Palace junction, Andheri-Kurla Road, Gurunanak petrol pump western Western Express highway to the BMC school.