MNS chief Raj Thackreay released a letter on social media requesting the BJP not to contest and let Rutuja Lathke win unopposed.
Raj Thackeray, president of Maharashtra Navirman Sena(MNS), wrote a letter to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis requesting not to file the nomination of a candidate by the BJP party in the upcoming byelection for the Andheri East Assembly constituency, on November 3. This constituency is vacant due to the death of late MLA Ramesh Latke.
The letter was released on Social media in which Raj Thackeray said that the MNS would not be contesting the bypoll to show its reverence for the deceased legislator, and Fadnavis was also addressed in this by Thackeray.
Late MLA’s wife, Rutuja Latke filed the nomination
He said that after the death of sitting MLA Ramesh Latke and the nomination filed by his wife, MNS can’t contest the election. Ramesh Latke was an MLA from the Andheri East constituency.
Thackrey requested Fadnavis not to enter into the byelection and also not to file a candidate against Rutuja Latke. He later added that he had witnessed the growth of the political area of Ramesh Latke. Thackeray requested the BJP to ensure that Rutuja Latke became the MLA for the Andheri East constituency.
Fadnavis’s response to Thackeray’s letter
The letter was sent with “good faith” by Thackrey, so he has to discuss it with the party leadership before taking any decision, Deputy CM Fadnavis said in response to Thackeray’s letter.
Fadnavis said, “I have received a letter from Raj Thackeray. They have good intentions. But I can’t make a decision myself, so I need to discuss it with the party leadership and with our ally, Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena. Only after that I can comment on it. The party has already filed the nomination for the Andheri East Assembly constituency and this announcement has come from above.”
Press conference by Sharad Pawar
NCP chief Pawar said to reporters, that considering the work done by late MLA Ramesh Latke, it would only be appropriate to let his wife Rutuja win unopposed.
Former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray thanked Thackeray and said that the NCP chief has preserved the sanctity of Maharashtra’s political culture with his appeal.
After Sharad Pawar’s press conference, Uddhav Thackeray said that the politics of Maharashtra is based on higher values and culture. Shiv Sena has always followed that, and after the deaths of R R Patil, Gopinathji Munde and Mrs (Shailaja) Girkar of the BJP, they didn’t declare their official candidate in an election. He later added that Sharad Pawar has also shown the legacy of rich Maharashtra culture like Yashawantrao Chavan, Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray, the late Vilasrao Deshmukh and the late Pramod Mahajan.
The BJP and Shinde faction contest the election in an alliance
The BJP and Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena are contesting the election in an alliance.
Hours later, MLA Pratap Sarnaik of the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, wrote a letter to the Chief Minister and requested him to not contest the bypoll against Rutuja Latke.
According to sources, two voices have emerged within the BJP regarding the bypoll issue. “A section wants that the party should leave the seat for the Shinde group while the other one wants Uddhav Thackeray head on, without fearing the sympathy wave for the opposition candidate,” said a Mumbai BJP leader.
