How Mahayuti & MVA have been getting rebel candidates across Maharashtra poll map to stand down

Eight rebel leaders from Mahayuti and 20 from MVA are still in the poll fray. However, many have been persuaded by their respective parties to withdraw their nominations.

Devendra Fadnavis meets BJP leader Gopal Shetty (left) after he withdraws nomination as Independent | ANI

Mumbai: Leaders of the two alliances, Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi, have, in most places, convinced their respective rebel leaders to withdraw their nominations for the assembly polls. But, 18 rebels from Mahayuti and 20 from MVA are still in the fray.

Mahayuti has won back at least 25 rebels, with the BJP having more success than its allies. Thirteen BJP rebels and at least six each from Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP have withdrawn their nominations. At least 8 BJP rebels, however, are among the 18 rebels still contesting the polls.

On the other hand, 20 rebels from MVA have withdrawn their nominations. However, nine rebels from the Congress and seven from the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Bal Thackeray) are still contesting the polls.

In Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Mahayuti is facing a threat from rebels in the key constituencies of Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, Mahim, Belapur, and Airoli. MVA is in a similar position in Kopri-Pachpakhadi, Nagpur West, Versova, and Beed.

In total, Mahayuti is facing rebellions in at least 18 assembly constituencies. Shirdi, Ashti, Junnar, Sacriston, Alibaug, Nanded South, Sawantwadi, Akkalkua, Majalgaon, Kalyan East, Mira Bhayander, Parner, Sewri, Purandar, and Nandgaon are among them.

For the MVA, the list is longer. Parner, Ambegaon, Ahmednagar City, Igatpuri, Shahpur, Akola West, Malegaon outer, Kasba Peth, Parvati, Sangli, Nagpur East, Sindkheda, Shivajinagar, Savner, Shrigonda, Indapur, Pathri are among places where leaders rebelled.

Maharashtra goes to polls on 20 November, and the results will be out on 23 November. There are 288 assembly constituencies in the state and, according to the formula arrived at by the alliances, from the Mahayuti, the BJP is contesting 152 seats, Shiv Sena 78 plus two seats that its allies are fighting, and NCP is contesting 52 seats. From the MVA, the Congress is contesting 102 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) 96 and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) 87, and the remaining tickets are with their smaller allies.

Rebellions and withdrawals

One of the high-profile battles would be on the Mahim seat, where Raj Thackeray of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has propped up his son, Amit Thackeray, for the assembly election contest for the first time.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had given the ticket to the sitting MLA from his party—Sada Sarvankar. But later, as Raj Thackeray decided to throw his son into the ring, the BJP switched support to Amit Thackeray.

Then, Shinde and the BJP tried to convince Sarvankar to withdraw his nomination, but that did not happen.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Devendra Fadnavis said, “In the case of Sarvankar, even Shinde tried to explain it to him, but that did not happen. We will see what can be done.”

Mahim will now see a triangular fight between Sarvankar, Thackeray, and Mahesh Sawant of Shiv Sena (UBT).

In the case of Gopal Shetty, the BJP national general secretary, Vinod Tawde, flew in from Delhi and convinced the rebel leader to withdraw his ticket as an Independent contestant from the Borivali assembly seat, where Sanjay Upadhyay is the party’s official candidate.

Commenting on the matter, Fadnavis said, “Shetty is our loyal ‘karyakarta’. I am happy he has withdrawn his name. He would never do anything that would affect our party.”

Besides Shetty, the BJP made similar efforts for Dadasaheb Keche, the incumbent BJP MLA from the Arvi constituency in Wardha Vidarbha. When the rebel leader declared intentions to contest as an Independent after the BJP gave the Arvi ticket to Sumit Wankhede, the party flew out Keche to Delhi to speak to Amit Shah and resolved the matter.

In the Deolali and Dindori constituencies, Ajit Pawar NCP’s candidates were in for relief when Shinde’s Shiv Sena convinced their rebel leaders to take back their nominations.

Within the MVA, the Congress could not convince its rebel leaders to take their nominations back from at least seven seats. Shrivardhan in Raigad, Katol, Nagpur West, and Ramtek in Vidarbha are among them.

In a joint press conference before the 4 November deadline for withdrawal of nominations, the MVA issued a statement, saying it is not in favour of any “friendly fight.”

Speaking to the media, Uddhav Thackeray said, “We have appealed to several rebel leaders to withdraw. Many have agreed to withdraw. Once the deadline is over, we will get to know who has withdrawn. Those rebels who did not withdraw, action will be taken by their party,” Thackeray said.

The MVA could convince their rebel leaders to take back their nominations from the Dharavi seat, which a Shiv Sena (UBT) rebel was earlier contesting.

Congress’s Mukhtar Shaikh withdrew his ticket against his party’s candidate, Ravindra Dhangekar, from Kasba.

In Mahim, Kunal Sarmalkar of Shiv Sena (UBT) took back his nomination against his party’s choice, Varun Sardesai.

Similarly, Congress’s Madhu Chavan withdrew his nomination from the Byculla seat, which the Shiv Sena (UBT) is contesting from the MVA’s end.

However, the Congress received a big jolt in Kolhapur when its official candidate from Kolhapur North, Madhurima Raje, the daughter-in-law of Shahu Chhatrapati, withdrew her nomination.

The Congress is now backing Independent Rajesh Latkar in  Kolhapur North. The move, for the party, has been embarrassing as it initially gave Latkar the ticket before choosing Madhurima Raje over him.

In another development, Manoj Jarange Patil, on Monday, withdrew from the assembly elections, saying “elections cannot be fought on just one caste”, and announced that he would not back any candidates.

(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)