The most intriguing aspect of the BJP's first list of poll candidates is that it has 'snatched' five seats from Shinde Sena, which are currently represented by the latter's representatives. The political buzz was that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had suggested Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to sacrifice on some seats. Recently, even state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule said that Shinde Sena must concede in seat-sharing talks.
There was news that Shah had told Shinde that the BJP has done many sacrifices in the last two and a half years; for example, not vying for the CM post and several plum portfolios to keep the Mahayuti alliance alive.Hence, it was now Shinde's turn to reciprocate, Shah had said probably.
The BJP's takeover of these seats had led to wild speculations about Shinde Sena's poll strategy. In the Dhule city, the BJP has fielded Anup Agarwal, taking over from Sena's Hilal Mali, while Atul Tayde will contest from Achalpur, replacing Sena's Sunita Phiske.
Rajesh Bakhale is the BJP candidate for Deoli, while Rajan Naik will run in Nalasopara, from where (undivided) Sena's Pradeep Sharma contested in 2019. Mahesh Baldi has been nominated for Uran in place of Sena's Manohar Bhoir.
Notably, Nalasopara has never elected a BJP MLA or an independent with the party's support, making the announcement even more significant. Analysts suggest that this strategy could impact future elections, including in constituencies like Palghar and Boisar.
The focus remains on whether the BJP candidates can secure wins in these Sena bastions.
HL : Constituencies
Dhule city
Achalpur
Deoli
Nalasopara
Uran
