MUMBAI, February 3: Ending a fortnight's suspense over his nomination, the Shiv Sena today finally decided against fielding former Chief Election Commissioner T N Seshan for the forthcoming mid-term polls, saying it was unable to find a "safe seat" for him."We were planning to field Seshan either from Khed in Pune district or Washim in Akola district. However, since both these seats were not safe for him, we decided not to field him," Chief Minister Manohar Joshi told mediapersons at Shivalaya, the Sena's party office in South Mumbai.Instead, Joshi said, his party had nominated prominent physician Gyaneshwar Shewale from Washim and Nana Balkawade, a local shakha pramukh, from Khed. The party did not renominate sitting MP from Washim, Pundlik Gawali, as it was felt that he stood a slim chance of being re-elected, he said. The party had no plans to field Seshan from outside Maharashtra, Joshi added. The Chief Minister also ruled out a campaign in support of his former private secretary, AvinashDharmadhikari, who is in the fray as an Independent candidate from Pune. Joshi said he was "a gentleman, no doubt" but canvassing for him would be a violation of party discipline. Following his debacle in the Presidential election, Seshan, who was supported by the Shiv Sena, was promised that he would be given a party nomination from any of the parliamentary constituencies in Mumbai or a safe constituency in the state. He was initially offered North-Central, currently represented by Narayan Athavale. Opposition to the move then led to a second offer, this time the Pune seat where the Sena had decided to oppose Suresh Kalmadi contesting as an Independent. When both proposals fell through, the Sena offered Washim, wrested by it from the Congress and held by former Chief Minister Sudhakarrao Naik. But Seshan declined, saying that since it was rural constituency, it would be difficult for him to campaign.
