Aaditya Thackeray in the month of July had launched a state-wide ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ to thank the electorate for their support
Mumbai: The top sources say ShivSena has decided to field Aaditya Thackeray, the elder son of party chief Uddhav Thackeray, from the Worli assembly constituency in Mumbai. Aaditya Thackeray will become the first member of the Thackeray family ever to contest an election.
“Aaditya Thackeray’s name has been finalized for the Worli assembly constituency. Shiv Sena’s sitting MLA Sunil Shinde will be vacating his place for Aaditya,” a close aide of ShivSena chief said. “Worli is considered one of the safest constituencies for the ShivSena and Aaditya’s candidature has been finalized by the party. Former NCP leader Sachin Ahir had recently joined the Sena, which will make Thackeray’s win easy,” he said.
Also Read: ‘Anupriya didn’t join Modi team as she was offered only MoS rank’: Apna Dal
Sachin Ahir had contested the 2014 assembly election against Sunil Shinde but was not successful. Ever since the ShivSena party was formed by late Bal Thackeray in 1966, no member of the family had contested an election or held a constitutional post in state and centre.
In the past, Uddhav Thackeray’s cousin and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray had announced his intention to contest the 2014 state assembly elections. However, he changed his mind later on. The ShivSena has been projecting him as the chief ministerial face if the NDA returns to power after the next month’s assembly polls
On Saturday Uddhav Thackeray had recalled the “promise” he had made to his late father Bal Thackeray to install a ‘Shiv Sainik’ (party worker) as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Aaditya Thackeray in the month of July had launched a state-wide ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ to thank the electorate for their support and vote in 2019 Lok Sabha polls and to seek their backing for the upcoming Assembly elections.
Also Read: Will Aditya be the first Thackeray to contest polls?
On Sunday Uddhav Thackeray issued A-B form for Sena leaders, a mandatory document to confirm the candidature of a person representing the party. “Mostly sitting MLAs of the party will contest the election this time as well. There are some senior Sena leaders, who lost in the 2014 assembly election. It is yet to decide in future as to whether they will continue to be the member of Maharashtra Legislative Council or not,” said sources from Sena.
In the last, assembly elections, the BJP and the ShivSena had contested separately due to disputes over the sharing of seats. The BJP won 122 out of 260 seats while the Sena bagged 63 out of 282 seats. Both parties later on together formed a BJP-led government. BJP’s top brass repeatedly stressing that incumbent Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis would helm the state once again.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also held “Mahajandesh yatra” in which he travelled in prominent cities and rural areas of the state. Earlier, speculations were rife that post of Chief minister might be given to Sena for two and half years and remaining years to BJP.
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
