BJP dumps three MLAs, Shiv Sena in Pune For Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2019

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Sumit Singh

Pune, October 1, 2019 : The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) today announced its first list of 125 candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2019.

There are eight assembly constituencies in Pune. The BJP has denied tickets to three MLAs in Pune including Vijay Kale from Shivajinagar, Dilip Kamble from Pune Cantonment and Medha Kulkarni from Kothrud. The party re-nominated four MLAs while the Kasba Peth seat vacated by MP Girish Bapat will have mayor Mukta Tilak as party’s candidate.

Discontent is simmering in the Pune unit of Shiv Sena as BJP is contesting all eight seats in Pune leaving no space for Sena which was hoping to contest from at least two assembly constituencies on its symbol.

Sena was the runner up in 2014 state elections in four seats in Pune when both BJP and Sena had fought separately. The party has failed to get even a single constituency this time which has left party workers displeased.

The BJP has given tickets to state party chief Chandrakant Patil from Kothrud, former MP Anil Shirole’s son Siddarth Shirole from Shivajinagar, mayor Mukta Tilak from Kasba Peth, Pune city BJP chief Madhuri Misal from Parvati, sitting MLA Yogesh Tilekar from Hadapsar and Jagdish Mulik from Vadgaosheri, Sunil Kamble from Pune Cantonment and Bhimrao Tapkir from Khadakwasla.

Meanwhile, Devendra Fadnavis is set to contest from Nagpur South-West seat. However, Former minister Eknath Khadse has filed nomination as independent candidate from Muktainagar assembly seat in Jalgaon as his name is missing from BJP’s first list.

Exuding confidence that he would get the ticket, Khadse said he would file his nomination afresh after he gets the A-B form. There is intense speculation that he could be denied the ticket as his two political bete noires, Devendra Fadnavis and Girish Majahan, are keen on de-seating him from his home turf of Jalgaon.

Former Sikkim governor and IAS officer Shriniwas Patil is NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s pick against Udayanraje Bhosale who recently joined the BJP and will be contesting the Satara Lok Sabha bypoll.

Nine-time Congress MP from Nandurbar Manikrao Gavit’s son Bharat, former Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Congress leader Harshvardan Patil who joined BJP ahead of the assembly polls have been rewarded with party nominations.

NCP and Congress have left Nashik West and Dahanu seats, respectively to CPM during the state assembly polls while there will be friendly contest in Kalwan and Solapur central.

Moreover, Prakash Ambedkar led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) has extended its support to CPM from Nashik West constituency, where the CPM candidate D L Karad is contesting state assembly election