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The ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra faces a fresh challenge ahead of the Legislative Council elections, with the BJP and Shiv Sena, led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, set for a direct contest in the Pune Teachers' constituency.
The BJP has announced candidates for three constituencies: Pune Graduates, Nagpur Graduates and Pune Teachers. While the BJP has fielded Dr Smita Jadhav from Pune Graduates and Kaustubh Gawde from Pune Teachers, Shinde's Sena has also decided to contest the Pune Teachers' seat with the close aid of DCM Eknath Shinde and Mangesh Chivte. The development has raised the possibility of a direct electoral battle between two constituents of the Mahayuti alliance. The BJP candidates for Pune Graduates and Pune Teachers, Dr Smita Jadhav and Kaustubh Gawde, respectively, filed their nominations in Pune on Monday in the presence of Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan, Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol and senior BJP leader and Maharashtra Minister Chandrakant Patil. Smita Jadhav, who has been fielded from the Pune Graduates constituency, is the daughter of PD Patil, associated with the DY Patil educational group, and daughter-in-law of Pratap Singh Jadhav, head of the Pudhari group. Her candidature is being viewed in the context of the voter equations across Pune and the Kolhapur region. The large number of voters associated with educational institutions is considered significant in the constituency. Her candidature has also been linked to the registration of teachers associated with the DY Patil educational institutions as voters. The announcement of Jadhav's candidature came before her formal induction into the BJP, following which she joined the party. For the Pune Teachers' constituency, the BJP has fielded Kaustubh Gawde, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Shri Swami Vivekanand Shikshan Sanstha in Kolhapur. Given the institution's reach among teachers in the Kolhapur region, the BJP's choice is being viewed as a strategic move to consolidate support among the teaching community. However, the BJP's candidature has not stopped the Shiv Sena's Shinde faction from preparing to enter the contest. Mangesh Chivate, considered close to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, is expected to file his nomination from the Pune Teachers' constituency on Tuesday. Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Industries Minister Uday Samant has also made it clear that his party will contest the Pune Teachers' seat. "Who the BJP has nominated is an internal matter of the BJP," Samant said, indicating that the Shiv Sena intends to proceed with its candidature. Under the seat-sharing arrangement, the BJP has been allotted the Pune Graduates, Nagpur Graduates and Pune Teachers constituencies. The Amravati Teachers' seat has gone to the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, while the Aurangabad Graduates' constituency has been allotted to the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. With the Shiv Sena also preparing to contest Pune Teachers, attention is now on negotiations within the Mahayuti ahead of the deadline for withdrawal of nominations. If the BJP and Shiv Sena fail to reach an agreement, candidates from the two alliance partners could end up contesting against each other in the Pune Teachers' constituency. The Legislative Council elections have thus presented the Mahayuti with a dual challenge: While the BJP faces a challenge from its own former legislator in Nagpur, the alliance is staring at a possible internal contest in Pune Teachers. (ANI)
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