BJP dominates Maharashtra MLC candidates' selection

MUMBAI: The selection of candidates for the upcoming MLC teacher’s constituency is clearly being dominated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) even as the party claimed it was fighting the elections in alliance with the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena (BSS), the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena.
The elections are to be held on January 30.
BJP state unit president Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Monday announced the name of Dnyaneshwar Mhatre as the party’s candidate for the Konkan MLC seat (Thane Teacher’s constituency).
He will be given the BJP’s AB form. Bawankule said his candidature has been approved by the central leadership as well as chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.
Mhatre’s family has been formerly associated with the Shiv Sena.
Addressing a press conference along with Uday Samant of the BSS, Bawankule said the party had so far won only the Amravati graduate constituency seat.
The Nagpur seat, he said, has always been contested by the Shikshak Parishad that is ideologically inclined towards the BJP and this time too they would be announcing a candidate for the seat.
“In Aurangabad the Parishad did not have a candidate so we gave them Kiran Patil. In Amravati it is the BJP’s Ranjit Patil,” he said, adding the Parishad had been asked to withdraw its candidate for the Konkan seat.
While the election is by first preference votes, the BJP is not taking any chances.
For the Nashik graduates seat, Bawankule said a decision would be taken soon.
The Shinde group is keen to contest this election as all the councillors of the Nashik Municipal Corporation had crossed over to its side after the split in the Shiv Sena.
It is therefore intent on fielding a candidate here. However, given Nashik’s religious importance the BJP is not willing to cede the seat to its alliance partner, said political observers.
(With inputs from PTI)