Nashik: Narendra Darade on Monday filed his nomination as the Mahayuti candidate for the Nashik Local Authorities Constituency Legislative Council election. The seat was allotted to Shiv Sena as part of the alliance's seat-sharing arrangement, leaving several BJP aspirants disappointed after their efforts to secure the candidature failed. Darade submitted his nomination amid a show of strength by senior Mahayuti leaders. Meanwhile, the opposition Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA) did not field any candidate, triggering political speculation.
With Mahayuti enjoying a decisive numerical advantage in the constituency, victory is considered almost certain, resulting in intense competition among aspirants. Both BJP and Shiv Sena had staked claim to the seat, creating uncertainty within the alliance. BJP hopefuls included Ganesh Gite, Suresh Patil and Nilesh Bora, while Shiv Sena contenders were Narendra Darade, Anjum Kande, Bhausaheb Chaudhary and Ajay Boraste. The confusion deepened after Ganesh Gite filed his nomination on Saturday. However, the seat-sharing formula announced late Sunday night cleared the way for Shiv Sena to nominate Darade.
Aspirants Express Discontent
Darade had previously won the same constituency in 2017 as the undivided Shiv Sena candidate, defeating the BJP-NCP alliance nominee Shivaji Sahane. Within Shiv Sena, there was a section advocating for a new face instead of re-nominating Darade. However, party leader and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde reportedly backed Darade's candidature, disappointing other Shiv Sena aspirants as well as BJP leaders who had been hoping to contest.
Three Ministers, Eleven MLAs Missing
Despite Mahayuti's dominance in Nashik district, the absence of several senior leaders during the nomination filing drew attention. Apart from Minister Dadaji Bhuse, other senior ministers, including Chhagan Bhujbal, Narhari Zirwal and district guardian minister Girish Mahajan, were absent. Similarly, barring MLAs Seema Hire and Rahul Dhikle, several alliance legislators, including Suhas Kande, Dr Rahul Aher, Manikrao Kokate, Dilip Bankar, Hiraman Khoskar, Dilip Borse, Nitin Pawar, Saroj Ahire and Devyani Pharande, did not attend the event, sparking political discussions.
Gite and Bodke Enter the Fray as Independents
Although BJP aspirant Ganesh Gite's prospects ended after the seat was allotted to Shiv Sena, his younger brother, Gokul Gite, filed an independent nomination, creating a fresh twist in the election. Additionally, NCP functionary Gorakh Bodke also entered the race as an independent candidate, exposing underlying differences within the ruling alliance.
MVA Opts Out
Under the MVA's seat-sharing arrangement, the Nashik seat had been allocated to Shiv Sena (UBT), which had announced former Niphad MLA Anil Kadam as its candidate. However, Kadam chose not to file his nomination and effectively withdrew from the contest. Political observers believe the decision was taken after the opposition failed to secure the required numerical strength among voters.
