Maharashtra Mlc Elections Mahayuti Mva Seat Sharing Rebellion Pune Thane Nanded

After days of negotiations and intense seat-sharing discussions, both the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Monday filed nominations for elections to 17 Maharashtra Legislative Council seats from local authorities' constituencies. Scrutiny of nominations will take place on June 2, the last date for withdrawal is June 4, polling will be held on June 18, and votes will be counted on June 22. However, the nomination process was marked by rebellion, competing claims and discontent across several constituencies. In Pune, the NCP witnessed an unusual situation as two candidates filed nominations. Former MLA Sunil Tingre and Vikram Kakde, son of BJP leader Sanjay Kakde, submitted nomination papers amid growing unease within the party. The NCP's decision to back Vikram Kakde has triggered resentment among party loyalists. Senior NCP leader Dilip Walse-Patil confirmed that Kakde's candidature had been approved by the party leadership. Also Read | Long walk for water: How scarcity is breaking women’s bodies in Maharashtra’s tribal belt The Nanded seat has emerged as another flashpoint. Although the constituency was allotted to the BJP under the Mahayuti arrangement, Pravin Chikhalikar, son of NCP MLA Pratap Chikhalikar, filed his nomination. Dissatisfaction also surfaced in the Sangli-Satara constituency, where BJP leader Shekhar Gore openly expressed disappointment after the party selected Dhairyasheel Kadam as its candidate. In an open letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Gore questioned why he had been overlooked for the Council berth. Sena gets four seats after tough bargaining The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena filed nominations in four constituencies — Thane-Palghar, Nashik, Parbhani-Hingoli and Yavatmal. The party fielded Ravindra Phatak, Narendra Darade, Saeed Khan and Dushyant Chaturvedi, respectively. Seat-sharing negotiations within Mahayuti witnessed friction in several regions, particularly Thane-Palghar, where both the BJP and Shiv Sena staked claim. BJP leaders argued that the party enjoyed a stronger numerical advantage among local body representatives, while the Sena maintained that Thane remained its political bastion. The seat was eventually allotted to the Sena, which fielded Phatak. Also Read | Amid Opposition backlash, govt says 10 lakh Ladki Bahin beneficiaries failed income eligibility test Nashik also saw prolonged negotiations before the constituency was retained by the Sena. A rebel nomination by NCP functionary Gorakh Bodke added an element of uncertainty to the contest. Differences were also reported in Parbhani-Hingoli, where multiple alliance aspirants had expressed interest before Saeed Khan's candidature was finalised. Before the final formula was sealed, the Shiv Sena had also sought seats in Jalgaon, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar-Jalna and parts of the Konkan region. Though the party initially demanded seven seats, it eventually settled for four under the Mahayuti arrangement, which allocated 11 seats to the BJP, four to the Sena and two to the NCP. MVA faces dissent over candidate selection The opposition MVA also faced challenges in finalising its candidates, with alliance leaders working to contain dissatisfaction among aspirants denied nominations. In Sangli-Satara, the NCP (SP) fielded former minister Balasaheb Patil. However, Congress leaders Sanjay Mendhe and Mayur Patil also filed nomination papers, signalling discontent over the seat-sharing arrangement. In Solapur, the Congress nominated Aditya Fattepurkar, triggering a revolt within the alliance. NCP (SP) leader Vasant "Nana" Deshmukh and Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Nagesh Akkalkote filed rebel nominations after being denied the ticket. Adding to the intrigue in Nanded, Krishna Nagesh Ashtikar, son of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, also entered the fray, potentially complicating the contest for the MVA's Congress nominee Ramdas Patil.