MUMBAI: The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has formally announced the nominations of Dr Shrikant Shinde from Kalyan and Naresh Mhaske from Thane constituencies.
Dr Shinde's nomination was earlier unilaterally declared by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis but on Wednesday the formal announcement was made by the Shiv Sena.
Dr Shinde, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's son, was elected in 2014 and 2019 elections as the nominee of the Shiv Sena (United), and hopes to score a hat-trick in Kalyan.
He has been pitted against the Shiv Sena (UBT) nominee Vaishali Darekar who was earlier associated with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
After Dy CM Fadnavis' announcement, Dr Shinde had started his campaign.
It was only after intervention by Dy CM Fadnavis and the Public Works Minister Ravindra Chavan that BJP cadres came on board as they were initially reluctant to work for CM Shinde’s son.
Further, after unconditional support by MNS chief Raj Thackeray to the Mahayuti, the lone MNS legislator Raju Patil is also now campaigning for Dr Shinde.
Patil had earlier raised objections against Dr Shinde's style of functioning.
As far as the Thane seat is concerned, Shinde had made it a prestige issue as Thane is his home turf.
The Shiv Sena has fielded Naresh Mhaske who is the former Thane Mayor and was among the few who left Uddhav Thackeray and joined Shinde after the split in the party in June 2022.
Mhaske will take on Shiv Sena (UBT) nominee and sitting MP Rajan Vichare.
The BJP had also staked its claim on the Thane seat as the names of party leaders Sanjay Kelkar, former MP Sanjeev Naik and former MP Vinayak Sahasrabuddhe were doing the rounds.
The Thane seat was represented in the past by the BJP but after 1996 the Shiv Sena held the seat till 2009 when NCP nominee Sanjeev Naik wrested it from the Shiv Sena.
However, Shiv Sena (United) won the Thane seat in 2014 and 2019 elections again, riding on the PM Modi wave.
In the run up to these elections, the BJP had aggressively pitched for the same but ultimately CM Shinde outsmarted it during the seat sharing arrangement.