Mumbai . A major development came to light in Maharashtra politics on Monday, when six MPs from the Uddhav Thackeray faction joined Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde. On this occasion, Eknath Shinde announced that all the six MPs who joined the party will be made candidates on Shiv Sena’s ‘bow and arrow’ election symbol in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from their current parliamentary constituencies.
After this announcement by Shinde, political discussions have intensified regarding the upcoming seat sharing in the grand alliance ‘Mahayuti’ of BJP-Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
It is noteworthy that in the year 2022, there was a major rebellion in the then Shiv Sena under the leadership of Eknath Shinde. A large section supporting the ideology of Balasaheb Thackeray had parted ways with Shinde. After this, Shinde became the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and the Election Commission considered his faction as the real Shiv Sena and allotted ‘bow and arrow’ election symbol.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction had sent nine MPs to Parliament, contesting on the ‘Torch’ election symbol. Of these, six MPs – Omraje Nimbalkar, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Deshmukh, Bhausaheb Wakchore, Sanjay Dina Patil and Nagesh Patil Ashtikar announced their joining the Shinde faction on Monday. The MPs who joined the party were strongly welcomed by Shiv Sena.
On the other hand, angry with this development, Uddhav Thackeray said that he will visit the parliamentary constituencies of all these MPs and present his side to the public. He challenged Eknath Shinde and said that if you have the courage then make these MPs win again in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Accepting Uddhav Thackeray’s challenge, Eknath Shinde announced that all the six MPs who joined the party will be fielded from their current constituencies on the ‘bow and arrow’ symbol. Political experts believe that this decision has strengthened Shinde’s political position, but new challenges may also arise regarding the distribution of seats within the Mahayuti.
Responding to this, a senior NCP leader and former minister said that it is natural for both sides to make statements after major political developments, but decisions like seat sharing are taken by the alliance leadership at the national level. He said that there are still three years left for the Lok Sabha elections, hence the current statements should not be considered as the final political position. The NCP leader also said that his party is waiting for the BJP’s official response on the matter. NCP will clarify its detailed political strategy only after BJP’s stand is revealed.
According to political analysts, the joining of six MPs from the Uddhav Thackeray faction into Shinde’s Shiv Sena is being considered an important change in the politics of Maharashtra, the impact of which can be seen on the political equations of the state in the coming years.,m;
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