Image Credit: X account @uddhavthackeray
Shiv Sena Expels Five Rebel Leaders Over Assembly Poll Nominations
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray announced the expulsion of five rebel leaders on Tuesday after they refused to withdraw their nominations for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections scheduled for November 20.
The expelled leaders include Bhiwandi East MLA Rupesh Mhatre, along with Vishwas Nandekar, Chandrakant Ghugul, Sanjay Awari, and Prasad Thackeray, who defied party directives to support officially backed candidates.
Maha Vikas Aghadi’s Struggle with Rebel Candidates
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), a coalition of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and Sharad Pawar’s NCP, faces challenges with rebel candidates across several constituencies. Fourteen MVA leaders filed nominations despite party instructions, although some, including Congress’s Mukhtar Shaikh, withdrew by the deadline. Shaikh stepped aside from the Kasba Peth constituency in Pune, pledging support to Congress candidate Ravindra Dhangekar.
The withdrawal of Madhurima Raje Chhatrapati, Congress’s candidate for Kolhapur North, moments before the deadline has left Congress without a representative in this crucial western Maharashtra region. Other Congress rebels, including Hemalata Patil from Nashik Central, Madhu Chavan from Byculla, and Vishwanath Walvi from Nandurbar, also withdrew their nominations. However, two NCP (SP) rebels remain in the race.
Maratha Activist Manoj Jarange Withdraws, Announces Conditional Support
Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange also exited the electoral race, marking his withdrawal after on-and-off hunger strikes demanding Maratha reservation in education and employment. Jarange stated, “The Maratha community will decide on its own whom to defeat and whom to elect.” The activist indicated he would endorse two candidates from the Parvati and Daund constituencies, although he has yet to disclose their names.
These developments reflect ongoing factional challenges within MVA parties, as Thackeray’s Sena seeks unity against opposition forces in the state election.
