Ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, a fissure has appeared in the Mahayuti over the Nandgaon Assembly constituency in Nashik district. The seat, currently held by Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) MLA Suhas Kande, is now being claimed by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Sameer Bhujbal, nephew of NCP leader and Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, has expressed interest in contesting from this constituency.
On Sunday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released a list of 99 candidates. Following this, it is expected that Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena will release their candidate lists soon. However, tensions have already risen in Nandgaon as NCP office bearers and workers from the Nandgaon constituency visited Pawar’s residence in Mumbai, demanding that the seat be given to the NCP.
Approximately 400-500 NCP workers gathered at Pawar's residence, shouting slogans in support of Bhujbal and urging the party to nominate him. They also made it clear that they would not support Suhas Kande if he became the Shiv Sena candidate.
Currently, Sameer Bhujbal is awaiting a nomination from Mahayuti, though there is talk that Kande will be the alliance's candidate. Bhujbal is said to be exploring other options, including running as an independent or as a candidate for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Reports suggest that Bhujbal is in contact with the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray-led faction of Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar’s NCP. The outcome of this internal struggle will be critical in shaping the political landscape in Nandgaon.
