Lok Sabha elections 2024: BJP demands key Maharashtra seats, Shiv Sena asserts retention

CM Eknath Shinde. Pic/Atul Kamble

The Thane Lok Sabha constituency, a prestigious home seat for Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, which is dear to Shinde's cabinet colleague Uday Samant, have been demanded by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Shinde Sena has strongly countered the ally's claim, insisting that it will retain both seats.

Shinde Sena has already lost Parbhani to ally Mahadev Jankar. It is expected to cede Nashik to NCP-SP, and a few segments in Mumbai to BJP. Sambhaji Nagar and Palghar are contentious. In Ramtek, the transition has been smooth for Shinde. He replaced incumbent Krupal Tumane with Raju Parve (import from the Congress).

Uday Samant and Narayan Rane. Pics/Sameer Markande

In a bid to save Thane, CM Shinde is learnt to have made up his mind to field local MLA Pratap Sarnaik. The MLA met Shinde on Tuesday. After the meeting, he reiterated that Thane was to stay with Sena. "We have it for many terms and it will stay with us," he told reporters. The contention between the allies has led to the delayed announcement for the Kalyan constituency which is held by CM Shinde's son Shrikant.

However, the BJP camp thinks otherwise about Thane. It strongly feels that Shinde doesn't have a winning candidate, but the BJP has some strong ones, including former MP Sanjeev Naik. BJP's claim stems from the fact that the BJP had given the segment to Sena on Bal Thackeray's appeal. The BJP had won it four times before handing it to the ally. Stalwarts such as Rambhau Mhalgi and Ram Kapse represented the BJP then. Undivided Sena had it from 1996 to 2019. Sanjeev Naik had won it as the NCP (undivided) candidate. Incumbent Rajan Vichare has been fielded by the Thackeray faction.

Rane ballistic

Union Minister and BJP leader Narayan Rane dared contenders in the NDA to stake claim to Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg. Rane himself is tipped as BJP's nominee despite Shinde Sena minister Uday Samant's demand that his brother Kiran Samant be made his party's candidate. He said the Sena was aggressive in keeping this segment.

Rane refused to agree with Samant. He told a press conference on Tuesday, "Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg is with BJP and will stay with BJP, come what may. There is no need for others to interfere there," he added. Previously, Rane's elder son Nilesh had won this seat in 2009 as a Congress nominee, and lost twice later, from Congress in 2014, and from Maharashtra Swambhiman Paksh in 2019. Five years later, the BJP wants the father to contest instead of the son.