New Delhi: Five rebel leaders have been expelled by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday. The rebels were expelled for anti-party activities after they did not withdraw nominations filed for Maharashtra assembly elections to be held on November 20.
These rebel leaders include Bhiwandi East MLA Rupesh Mhatre, Chandrakant Ghugul, Vishwas Nandekar, Sanjay Awari and Prasad Thackeray.
Monday was the last date for withdrawal of nominations by the candidates. On the last day, a record number of rebel leaders withdrew their nominations from the Maharashtra assembly polls.
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49 rebel leaders withdraw nominations
According to the information, there were as many as 35 rebel candidates in the Mahayuti comprising the BJP, Shinde faction’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP. Similarly, there were a total of 14 rebels in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition of Uddhav faction’s Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar’s NCP and the Congress. In all, 49 rebels withdrew their nominations. However, there were some who failed to take back their nominations.
The political parties first persuaded the rebel candidates. On Sunday evening, almost all the political parties issued direction that if their rebel leaders did not take back their nominations, stringent action will be taken against them. Most of the rebels took back their nominations the next day. But some did not.
Congress leader Mukhtar Shaikh opts out
From the Maha Vikas Aghadi, 14 leaders had filed nominations. Among those who took back their nominations by Monday deadline was Congress leader Mukhtar Shaikh, who withdrew from the Kasba Peth assembly constituency in Pune and declared his support for the party’s official candidate, Ravindra Dhangekar.
Just minutes before the withdrawal deadline, royal scion Madhurima Raje Chhatrapati opted out as the Congress candidate for Kolhapur North. It left the party without representation in one of its bastions in western Maharashtra. She had been fielded in place of former corporator Rajesh Latkar. Among the seven Congress rebels who took back their nominations were Hemalata Patil from Nashik Central, Madhu Chavan from Byculla, and Vishwanath Walvi from Nandurbar. Just two rebel leaders from the NCP (SP) are in the race.
