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MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Saturday released its second list of candidates for the assembly elections. Fifteen candidates were named in the second list, taking the total declared candidates from Sena (UBT) to 80. The list was announced in Saamna, the party mouthpiece. The Sena (UBT) declared former two-term BJP MLA Anil Gote from Dhule City. Gote joined the Sena (UBT) this week.
Other candidates include Raju Tadvi from Chopada, Jayshree Mahajan from Jalgaon City, Jayshree Shelke from Buldhana, Pawan Jaiswal from Digras, Rupali Patil from Hingoli, Asaram Borade from Partur, Yogesh Gholap from Deolali, Sachin Basre from Kalyan West, Dhananjay Bodore from Kalyan East, former Mumbai Mayor Shraddha Jadhav from Wadala, Ajay Chaudhari from Sewri, Manoj Jamsutkar from Byculla, Anuradha Nagawde from Shrigonda, and Sandesh Parkar from Kankavli.
With the second list out, there is a tussle with the Congress over two seats in Mumbai, Colaba and Versova, which the Sena (UBT) has also claimed, along with a few more seats in the rest of Maharashtra.
After speculation that former Akhil Bhartiya Sena (ABS) Corporator Geeta Gawli would fight the assembly polls from Byculla on a Sena (UBT) ticket, the Sena (UBT) named former Corporator Manoj Jamsutkar for the seat. Jamsutkar claimed on Friday that he received the party’s AB form, which is required to file nominations as an official candidate. Jamsutkar was earlier in the Congress and then joined the Sena (UBT).
“Uddhav Thackeray called me and gave me the AB form. So this means that the candidate is finalised. The people of this area saw the fight in the 2012 and 2017 BMC polls, and now in 2024, people will see us win for the third time. All party functionaries have the right to seek a ticket, but once the party takes a decision, it is our job to follow the party’s decision. I will be filing the nomination on Monday,” Jamsutkar said.
Eknath Shinde-led Sena’s Yamini Jadhav is the sitting MLA from Byculla. In the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), both the Sena (UBT) and Congress were keen on contesting the Byculla seat. The Sena (UBT), political observers said, was on the lookout for a strong candidate from Byculla to challenge Yamini. While former Mayor Kishori Pednekar and former Corporator Ramakant Rahate were also in the fray, the party picked Jamsutkar as a local face.
After holding back the ticket for the Sewri constituency, the Sena (UBT) decided to give the ticket to sitting MLA Ajay Chaudhary. Sena (UBT) was likely to give the ticket to Lalbaugcha Raja Ganpati Mandal Secretary Sudhir Salvi.
Over Wednesday and Thursday, several rounds of meetings were held at Matoshree, the Thackeray family residence, to decide the candidate. Party functionaries from the constituency were also called, and finally, Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray decided to give the ticket to Chaudhari.
From Chopda, the Sena (UBT) has fielded BMC’s Education Officer Raju Tadvi. Tadvi resigned from BMC service on Friday, and his resignation was approved the same day. Tadvi’s name was announced for the seat on Saturday morning. Chopda in Jalgaon district is a Scheduled Tribe (ST) reserved constituency. The sitting MLA from this seat is Latabai Sonawane of the Sena led by Eknath Shinde. She defeated NCP’s Jagdishchandra Valvi.