Sena (UBT) Nashik district chief Vijay Karanjkar joins Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena

Eknath Shinde and Vijay Karanjkar

In a setback for Shiv Sena (UBT), its Nashik district chief Vijay Karanjkar joined the Shiv Sena in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

According to reports, Vijay Karanjkar was denied a ticket by the Uddhav Thackeray-led party, and he jumped ships with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction.

Karanjkar joined Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) a day before the third phase of polling for Lok Sabha elections.

Shiv Sena has renominated sitting MP Hemant Godse from Nasik. The last date to withdraw the nominations is May 6.

Nashik will go to the polls on May 20 in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls.

Meanwhile, polling for the third phase is scheduled to be held on May 7.

In Maharashtra, seats that will go under polling on May 7 include, Baramati, Raigad, Osmanabad, Latur, Solapur, Madha, Sangli, Satara, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, Kolhapur and Hatkanangale.

Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second-largest after Uttar Pradesh. The first and the second phases of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections are over. While the first phase took place on April 19, the second phase was conducted on April 26.

Next, the elections in Maharashtra will be held on May 7, May 13, and May 20.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 23 out of 25 contested seats, while the undivided Shiv Sena secured 18 out of 23 seats.

The undivided NCP, part of the opposition alliance, contested 19 seats and won four. Following the split in the Shiv Sena in 2022, the Eknath Shinde faction aligned with the BJP.

The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

(With inputs from Agencies)