BHIWANDI: There is a strong fight going on in the Mahavikas Aghadi for two out of the three seats in Bhiwandi.
Congressmen are unhappy after Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav declared five candidates in Maharashtra, mainly the candidate for the Bhiwandi (West) seat, from where Congress's highest 18 local leaders in Thane District are interested in contesting the election.
Seeing the possibility of the current Samajwadi Party MLA Raees Sheikh getting the ticket from the Bhiwandi East seat again in MVA seat distribution, Shiv Sena workers led by Uddhav Thackeray held a meeting and decided not to work for the Samajwadi Party's candidate Sheikh if he gets the ticket in MVA seat distribution.
If political sources are to be believed, Congress was not pushing for a ticket from the Bhiwandi (East) seat, from where Raees Sheikh is the sitting MLA of the Samajwadi Party, and his candidature is also declared by SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav.
Senior Congress leaders are still seen staking their claim on this seat. It remains to be seen whether Congress also declares its candidate from this seat in the future, making it a triangular fight on this seat or not.
On another side, Shiv Sena workers led by Uddhav Thackeray at the local level held a meeting at Bhiwandi, saying if the ticket goes to SP Raees Sheikh in seat distribution (even though Akhilesh declared his candidature), then they will not work for him as Mahavikas Aghadi. Shiv Sena workers have demanded the Bhiwandi (East) seat for former MLA Rupesh Mhatre, who lost the last assembly election against Sheikh with a low margin of votes.