Maharashtra deputy chief minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said his party and the Sena faction led by CM Eknath Shinde will contest the Andheri East bypoll together.
“The chief minister and I will discuss and decide our candidate for the election,” said Fadnavis, a day after the Election Commission allotted ‘dhal talwar’ or ‘two swords and a shield as its symbol to the CM-headed group named Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena.
In another development, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction alleged that Rutuja Latke, its prospective candidate for the November 3 byelection in Mumbai, is being pressured by the rival camp amid poaching attempts.
Latke, who has submitted her resignation as an administrator in a BMC ward, later appeared before the media with Sena leader Vishwanath Mahadeshwar and said, “If I contest the election, it will be only in the symbol of mashal (flaming torch allotted to Thackeray camp).”
The Bombay high court has agreed to grant an urgent hearing to a petition filed by Latke seeking directions to the civic authority to accept her resignation. The petition will be heard on Thursday.
Mahadeshwar said civic officials are under pressure from the Shinde government to not clear Latke’s resignation. “We have Plan B ready,” he said.
Latke’s lawyers told the HC that as the BMC had not accepted her resignation tendered on October 3, it would not be possible for her to file her candidature till the last date of filing which is October 14.
The bypoll, necessitated by the death of incumbent Sena MLA and Rutuja Latke’s husband Ramesh Latke, would be the first electoral test for the Thackeray faction following the rebellion and consequent split in the party in June this year.
(With agency and reporters)
