Mumbai, Nov 11: Although the Mahayuti comprising BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP as well as the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) consisting of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP(SP) have succeeded in calming down most of the rebels, they now face another challenge, i.e. to weather friendly fights for the victory of official nominees.

Of the 288 Assembly constituencies, the friendly fights are taking place on 29 seats.

Of these seats, there are 21 where the MVA allies are engaged in friendly fights while the Mahayuti partners are facing such contests on eight seats.

This is despite their efforts to have a one-on-one contest.

In the case of the Mahayuti, the friendly fight is taking place on the Devlali seat where Shiv Sena nominee Rajashree Ahirrao is pitted against NCP nominee and sitting legislator Saroj Ahire.

In Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar constituency, despite the NCP’s nominee Nawab Malik, the Shiv Sena has fielded Suresh Patil.

Both will take on the Samajwadi Party’s sitting legislator Abu Azmi.

In Morshi constituency, BJP nominee Umesh Yawalkar will take on NCP candidate Devendra Bhuyar, in the Ashti constituency the BJP nominee and former minister Suresh Dhas is pitted against NCP nominee and sitting legislator Balasaheb Ajabe, in Purandar seat former minister and Shiv Sena nominee Vijay Shivtare is against NCP nominee and former bureaucrat Sambhaji Zende, in Shrirampur seat Shiv Sena’s former legislator Bhausaheb Kamble is against NCP nominee Lahu Kanade while on the Sindkhed Raja seat the Shiv Sena has fielded former legislator Shashikant Khedekar against NCP nominee Manoj Kayande and NCP(SP) nominee Rajendra Shingne.

As far as the MVA is concerned, it had left few seats to smaller parties and allies including Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), CPM and Samajwadi Party.

However, in some constituencies these parties have fielded their nominees against the MVA candidates.

On the Uran seat, PWP nominee Pritam Mhatre is in the fray against BJP nominee Mahesh Baldi and Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Manohar Bhoir.

In Solapur central the CPM nominee and former legislator Narsayya Adam is against the Congress nominee Chetan Narote and BJP nominee Devendra Kothe.

In Nanded North the PWP nominee Sangita Dakh is against Congress nominee and former mayor Abdul Sattar and Shiv Sena nominee Balaji Kalyankar.

In Bhiwandi west the Samajwadi Party nominee Riyaz Azmi is against BJP nominee Mahesh Chaughule and Congress nominee Dayanand Chorghe and in the Naigaon seat PWP nominee Archana Patil is against BJP nominee Rajesh Pawar and Congress nominee Meenal Khatgaonkar. Further, in Mukhed constituency the PWP nominee Govind Dumne is taking on BJP nominee Tushar Rathod and Congress nominee Hanmant Patil-Betmogrekar.

In Loha constituency, PWP nominee Asha Shinde is pitted against Shiv Sena (UBT) nominee Eknath Pawar and NCP nominee Pratap Patil-Chikhalikar, while in Panvel the PWP nominee Balaram Patil is against BJP nominee Prashant Thakur and Shiv Sena (UBT) nominee Leena Gharad.

In Aurangabad east the Samajwadi Party nominee Gaffar Quadri is against BJP nominee Atul Save and Congress nominee Lahu Shevale or Lahu Shewale, while on the Ausa seat PWP nominee Shivaji Suravase is against BJP nominee Abhimanyu Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) nominee Dinkar Mane.

In Parli constituency where the NCP minister Dhananjay Munde is pitted against NCP(SP) nominee Rajesaheb Deshmukh, the PWP has fielded Kedarnath Jadhav making it a triangular fight.

In Tuljapur constituency, Samajwadi Party nominee Devanand Rochkari is against BJP nominee Ranajagjitsinha Patil and Congress nominee Dhiraj Patil, in the Paranda seat Samajwadi Party nominee Revan Bhosale is against Shiv Sena minister Tanaji Sawant and NCP(SP) nominee Rahul Mote and in Gadchiroli PWP nominee Jayashri Velada is in the fray against Congress nominee Manohar Koreti.

On the Sangola seat, PWP nominee and former legislator Ganpatrao Deshmukh’s grandson Baba Deshmukh is contesting against Shiv Sena (UBT) nominee Deepak Salunkhe and Shiv Sena nominee Shahaji Patil, while on the Dhule seat Samajwadi Party nominee Irshad Jahagirdar is against Shiv Sena (UBT) nominee Anil Gote and BJP nominee Anup Agrawal.

In the Vani constituency the CPM nominee Anil Hepat is standing against Shiv Sena (UBT) nominee Sanjay Derkar while on the Karanja seat PWP nominee Bapusaheb Sable is against NCP(SP) nominee Gyayak Patni and BJP nominee Saitai Dahake, while in the Malegaon seat Samajwadi Party nominee Shan E Hind is against Congress nominee Ejaz Beg.

On the Sakri seat PWP nominee Yashwant Malche is against Congress nominee Pravin Chaure and Shiv Sena legislator Manjula Gavit and in Katol seat PWP nominee Rahul Deshmukh against NCP(SP) nominee Salil Deshmukh, BJP nominee Charansingh Thakur and Independent Yajnavalkya Jichkar who was on Sunday expelled by the Congress party.

(Sanjay Jog can be contacted at sanjay.j@ians.in)

--IANS

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