Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Shiv Sena (UBT) releases 1st list of 65 candidates; Aaditya Thackeray to contest from Worli

The party has renominated most of its MLAs who stayed with Uddhav Thackeray after the split in the Shiv Sena in 2022.

Mumbai: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray’s son Aaditya Thackeray would be contesting the Worli seat where he is expected to face a stiff opposition.

Thackeray has fielded Kedar Dighe from Thane's Kopri Panchpakhadi seat, where he would take on Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, a four-term MLA. Dighe is the nephew of late Shiv Sena leader Anand Dighe, who is considered to be Shinde's political mentor.

Aaditya, a former minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, is the sitting Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA, which he won when the Shiv Sena was unified in 2019.

Aaditya’s name figures in the first list of 65 candidates announced by the party.

The Raj Thackeray-led MNS has announced the candidature of Sandeep Deshpande, the party’s general secretary and spokesperson.

The Maha Yuti comprising BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP is yet to reach a consensus on the seat. Both BJP and Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde are keen to contest the seat.

BJP’s Shaina NC too is keen to contest the seat.

The Maha Yuti leadership may even take a call to support the MNS candidate.

As per the list, Thackeray’s cousin and Yuva Sena leader Varun Sardesai will contest from Vandre East seat in Mumbai, which is currently represented by sitting MLA Zeeshan Siddique, the son of late NCP leader Baba Siddique.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) has renominated most of its MLAs who remained with Thackeray after the split in the Shiv Sena in June-July 2022.

Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.

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