Since the day of division of Shiv Sena factions, people are asking which one is the Shiv Sena? The legacy of Balasaheb Thakeray could not be retained by his son Uddhav Thakeray, Shiv Sena was devided into two factions. Election will take place in Maharashtra on November 20, 2024, it would be interesting to see if Chief Minister Eknath Shinde faction wins the election or people would elect Uddhav faction. However, there has been anger among the people in the state especially the Balasaheb loyalists over the division.
The Maharashtra Assembly elections are the first assembly polls after the division of Balasaheb’s Shiv Sena, two and half years ago. Although the Supreme Court is yet to pronounce its verdict on the plea challenging the Maharashtra Speaker’s order declaring the Shinde-led Sena as the “real political party”, the two Senas have been vying for the legacy of the party, founded in Mumbai almost 60 years ago.
The two factions – One led by Eknath Shinde and the Shiv Sena (UBT) of Uddhav Thackeray, are pitted against each other in 53 of the 288 assembly constituencies across the state. Of these 53, 44 are sitting MLAs, who won the 2019 election as candidates of the undivided Sena. They will now go head-to-head with the rival faction.
The Kopri-Pachpakhadi seat in Thane, has been the center of focus being Shinde’s home turf. The Chief Minister is contesting on the Sena (UBT)’s Kedar Dighe, nephew of Shinde’s mentor and former Shiv Sena leader, the late Anand Dighe. Shinde has fielded 78 candidates and re-nominated all his sitting MLAs except Shrinivas Vanga from Palghar. He has fielded Nilesh Rane from Kudal, Sanjana Jadhav from Kannad, and Muraji Patel from Andheri East, all of whom have crossed over from the BJP.
The Maharashtra elections has turned exciting as it is Sena vs Sena battle is playing out in Worli, where Shinde has fielded MP Milind Deora against MLA Aaditya Thackeray, son of Uddhav Thackeray. In the Mahim constituency, birthplace of the Sena, sitting MLA Sada Sarvankar from the Shinde faction will challenge Mahesh Sawant from the Sena (UBT).
A total 44 MLAs from both sides, who won as candidates of the undivided Sena, will have to face a challenge from the other Sena now. Of the 53 seats, which will see a Sena vs Sena battle, 20 are from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, a bastion of the party. In the Konkan, another traditional Sena bastion, the two factions will contest each other in six constituencies.
In 2019, the undivided Sena won 56 seats in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Of these, 41 MLAs went with Shinde when he fractured the party, while 15 remained with Thackeray. In the Konkan, another traditional Sena bastion, the two factions will contest each other in six constituencies.
