Maharashtra MLC polls: High drama as MVA continues to be in a fix over its Nashik candidate
The Hindu
The elections to the five MLC seats, slated for January 30, have again exposed the poor coordination between the three MVA coalition partners
High drama ensued on the last day of the withdrawal of nominations for the teachers’ and graduates’ constituency seats, in the upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Council polls on Monday, with the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) still unclear, about backing a candidate for the hotly contested Nashik graduates’ constituency seat.
The elections to the five MLC seats (two graduates’ and three teachers’ constituencies), which are slated for January 30, have again exposed the poor coordination between the three MVA coalition partners (Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the Congress and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction) in general, and the raging factionalism within the Maharashtra Congress, in particular.
The Congress was left red-faced after its chosen candidate for Nashik— three-time MLC Sudhir Tambe— withdrew his nomination in defiance of the party high command last week. In lieu of him, his son, Satyajeet Tambe— a former Maharashtra Youth Congress president— announced his candidature as an independent, while stating he would seek the support of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
While the Congress suspended Dr. Sudhir Tambe and started an inquiry to ascertain why he did not fill his nomination form, the party high command on Monday initiated disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Satyajeet Tambe as well, said sources.
Meanwhile, further confusion prevailed within the MVA over declaring a candidate for the Nashik seat, after the Tambes’ ‘betrayal’.
The seat, initially a preserve of the Congress, has now gone into the Thackeray camp’s kitty. On Sunday, the Shiv Sena (UBT) announced it was supporting Shubhangi Patil for the Nashik seat.
However, today, both Ms. Patil and another candidate— Subhash Jangle— claimed that each had the support of the Sena (UBT) and the MVA to be the Opposition’s candidate.
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