The battle to secure the ticket for the Shirur Lok Sabha seat is heating up within the Mahayuti - the ruling coalition consisting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Eknath Shinde's faction of Shiv Sena.
Shiv Sena leader Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil, who was recently appointed as the president of the Pune unit of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), has announced that he will contest from the constituency and is willing to join the NCP if it goes to Ajit Pawar’s party in the seat-sharing talks.
“After NCP leaders met the chief minister, I spoke to him. He said that no decision has been taken so far. If the seat (Shirur) goes to NCP, I am ready to contest the election on an NCP ticket. My supporters have expressed the same wish. Ultimately, a decision will be taken by senior Shiv Sena, NCP, and BJP leaders," a leading daily quoted him as saying.
Patil, who has served as an MP three times from Shirur, has earlier also affirmed his determination to contest the elections. He stated, "I am happy that I have been appointed as the MHADA president of the Pune unit. It will give me a chance to serve people by building affordable houses. However, it doesn’t mean I am out of the race for Lok Sabha polls. I will definitely contest the Lok Sabha election from Shirur.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has already laid claim to the Shirur Lok Sabha seat. On the other hand, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) has declared that sitting MP Amol Kolhe will be their candidate from the constituency.
