Nashik: Although the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena have yet to decide who among them will contest the Nashik MLC seat representing the Mahayuti alliance, functionaries from both parties have filed their nominations, anticipating that the final decision will tilt in their favor.
BJP Aspirants in the Fray
Six aspirants from the BJP have entered the fray and submitted their forms under the party name as well as independents. However, none of them have received the mandatory A-B nomination forms from the party high command. A senior party leader stated, "There are 36 candidates in the fray, and six of them are from the BJP. Prominent names include Ganesh Gite, a former Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) standing committee chairman from the BJP, who later rebelled during the assembly elections but subsequently rejoined the party."
Gite, who filed his nomination forms, claimed, "I have had discussions with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Water Resources Department (WRD) Minister Girish Mahajan, and BJP state president Ravindra Chavan. All of them assured me that I would be given a chance to contest the election. Therefore, I have filed my nomination papers."
BJP office-bearers, however, have refused to comment on who the party nominee will be if the party decides to contest the election. "We will have to wait for the decision on Monday. We hope the picture will be clear by 2 pm. You never know, we may have a completely different candidate as well," a party functionary said.
Shiv Sena and NCP Nominations
Similarly, candidates from the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) — both partners in the Mahayuti — have also filed their nominations. Vishnu Mhaisdhune from the NCP and Vijay Karanjkar from the Shiv Sena have submitted their papers.
A BJP functionary claimed, "The contest is primarily between the Shiv Sena and the BJP. The NCP is not a stakeholder for this specific seat in Nashik. It is likely that the BJP will not give up its claim on the seat to the Shiv Sena, especially against the backdrop of the upcoming Simhastha Kumbh Mela. Instead, the Shiv Sena may be accommodated elsewhere."
However, a Shiv Sena official firmly ruled out that possibility. "Traditionally, the Shiv Sena holds this seat, and there cannot be any change in our position. We are contesting, and that is final," the senior Shiv Sena leader said.
Maha Vikas Aghadi Candidates
Meanwhile, as far as the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is concerned, Anil Kadam and Vasant Gite from the Shiv Sena (UBT) have filed their nominations. The party will decide on Monday who among them will ultimately remain in the fray.
