Maha Vikas Aghadi conundrum: Uddhav's Sena declares candidates on disputed Versova, Ghatkopar West seats

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) on Saturday declared candidates for the Versova and Ghatkopar West seats in Mumbai. It announced the names of Haroon Khan from Versova and Sanjay Bhalerao from Ghatkopar West. The announcement of candidature has raised anticipation of erupting fault lines in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition as Congress and NCP (SP) had also staked claims on these seats for the Maharashtra assembly polls.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party has also fielded Vinod Ghosalkar, father of Sena (UBT) leader Abhishek Ghosalkar who was shot dead in February, from Dahisar constituency, and Bhairulal Jain from Malabar Hill. The party's sitting MLA Rutuja Latke has been renominated from Andheri East seat. From Kurla, Uddhav Sena has nominated Pravin Morazkar.

Notably, Mumbai has a total of 36 assembly segments. The polling for the 288 seats of the Maharashtra Assembly will be held on November 20. The counting of the votes and declaration of the results will be on November 23. The multiparty contest in the state will be bipolar as the major parties have formed two alliances. The ruling Mahayuti comprising of, the BJP, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP, is contesting to retain power against Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition of Congress, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar's NCP.

(With PTI Inputs)