Sena vs Sena on 13 seats in Maharashtra: Litmus test for both parties, survival test for CM Shinde

However, according to political observers, the real test for Shinde-led Sena will be the results of the Lok Sabha polls that would prove whether the Thane strongman has also managed to garner the support of Sena voters and cadres.

While in the seat-sharing arrangement of Maha Yuti (ruling alliance comprising Sena), the BJP and NCP led by Ajit Pawar), the Shinde-led Sena managed to bag 15 Lok Sabha seats out of 48 LS seats, proving that he is a hard bargainer. However, of these 15 seats, except for Ramtek and Kolhapur, on all other seats, there is a straight fight between two Senas.

However, it is not an easy run for the Shinde Sena. Apart from resolving the infighting in the alliance, Shinde-led Sena has a challenge to overcome the sympathy wave, which Uddhav Thackeray is enjoying. The party will also have to face several challenges on at least six seats, especially three seats of Mumbai — Kalyan, Thane and Nashik, which would go to polls in the fifth and last phase of the polls in the state on May 20.

“While it is a do or die for Shinde-led Sena, for Uddhav too, it would be important to prove that he has consolidated anti-BJP voters and utilised the sympathy, which he is having after the split in the party,” a political observer said.

MUMBAI SOUTH SEAT

While in South Mumbai, Sena candidate Yamini Jadhav is considered to be a light weight candidate against sitting Sena MP Arwind Sawant, she was also embroiled in controversy after ED, I-T action against her and her husband Yashwant Jadhav, who is a BMC corporator standing committee chairman was accused of corruption.

For Mumbai South seat, at least three candidates two from BJP MLA and assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar and minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha and Sena’s Milind Deora were also in the race, but Jadhav was nominated by Sena and that has caused some resentment in the local BJP unit and the supporters of Deora.

MUMBAI NORTH WEST

In Mumbai North West, the Shinde Sena nominated Ravindra Waikar who was facing the heat from the central agencies, recently switched over from the Shiv Sena UBT to the ShivSena. He will take on Amol Kirtikar of the Shiv Sena UBT.

Waikar was under the scanner of central investigative agencies with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in October, 2023 registering a money laundering case against him in connection with construction of a luxury hotel, claiming it in violation of his agreement with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

MUMBAI SOUTH CENTRAL

The opposition is also raking up the issues of complaints of harrasment filed against Sena’s Mumbai South Central candidate Rahul Shewale by a woman. Shewale is pitted against Sena UBT leader Anil Desai.

A political observer feels that the nomination of Jadhav and Waikar has not sent a good message among the BJP cadres, since they were highlighting the alleged corruption by these two candidates, it will be difficult for them to do their campaigning.

THANE, KALYAN SEATS

Thane and Kalyan seats were embroiled in a power tussle between the BJP and Shinde-led Sena as both were staking claim on the seats.

In Thane, the BJP was keen on fielding Sanjeev Naik but the CM did not agree to parting his home turf and announced Naresh Mhaske as Sena candidate. The move did not go well and sparked an uproar among the BJP workers and office-bearers from Navi Mumbai and Mira Bhayandar, who threatened to resign from the BJP.

Naik said it was natural for the party workers to be upset over denial of ticket to their leader. “We all will work to ensure victory of Mahayuti’s candidate and to make Narendra Modi Prime Minister Again,” Naik said.

The protest by BJP workers forced Shinde to hold a meeting of all office-bearers and workers of six assembly constituencies of Thane to pacify them. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is likely to go to Navi Mumbai to pacify Ganesh Naik, father of Sanjeev Naik and his supporters.

Even as Sena is claiming that the issue has been resolved by leaders, BJP workers, especially Naik supporters, have been unhappy with the treatment to Naik who was told by the BJP to start preparation for the polls. “We are not happy with the way Naik saheb has been treated. Also the BJP has more strength in Thane as compared to Shinde Sena and hence the seat should have been with the BJP,” said a BJP worker.

Similar was the case in Kalyan where the local BJP unit was opposed to the candidatures of Shrikant Shinde, the sitting Sena MP and son of CM Shinde.

NASHIK INFIGHTING

Another constituency where there is a huge infighting is Nashik in North Maharashtra where Shinde-led Sena has nominated sitting MP Hemant Godse.

The, NCP (Ajit Pawar) faction claimed the seat and decided to field its senior minister Chhagan Bhujbal. The BJP had no objection to Bhujbal’s candidature as it believed it would help consolidate OBC vote bank and Bhujbal even started the work. But since the nomination was not declared, Bhujbal opted out from the race. However, since Godse was re-nominated, the OBC community is upset for unfairly treating Bhujbal(the OBC leader).

Banners were put up in the constituency by OBC community to not vote for the Maratha candidate since Sena insulted the OBC by not nominating OBC candidates. BJP leader and OBC leader Anil Jadhav who was upset for giving ticket to Godse, filed his independent nomination from Nashik on Saturday.

SENA UBT ON 21 SEATS

In 2019, the undivided Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray, in an alliance with the BJP, had contested 22 Lok Sabha seats and managed to win 18, of which 13 MPs had switched over to Shinde-led Sena after the split in the party in 2022.

During the meeting of parliamentary board of the Shiv Sena in March, Shinde-led Sena resolved to contest 18 seats at least and later even raised the demand to contest 22 seats, the similar seats which the undivided Senas had contested in an alliance with the BJP.