Friction In Mahayuti Ahead Of Pune Teachers' Constituency Polls: Eknath Shinde Backs Independent Candidate

(MENAFN- IANS) Pune, Oct 16 (IANS) Rifts within the ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra have surfaced ahead of the Teachers' Constituency election. While Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently claimed that all five Teacher and Graduate constituencies would be contested jointly under the Mahayuti umbrella, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde signalled that all is not well within the coalition by backing Independent candidate Sachin Sanap in the Pune Teachers' Constituency. The voting is slated for October 23 and counting on October 27.

Dy CM Shinde on Thursday evening announced Shiv Sena's support for Sanap. "Although we are contesting elections as Mahayuti, a 'friendly contest' may take place in certain places as an exception," he stated.

The decision has set up a high-stakes political contest between Independent candidate Sachin Sanap and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Kaustubh Gawade, turning the spotlight of political circles onto the constituency.

Further, Jayant Asgaonkar (Congress) is backed once again by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Asgaonkar enters the fray as the incumbent holding the stronghold.

In the 2020 elections, held under the erstwhile MVA government, Asgaonkar secured a decisive victory on first-preference votes.

Having launched his campaign with high hopes of securing the BJP ticket-symbolically commencing from the courtyard of Pandharpur's Vitthal Temple-Dattatray Sawant missed out on the official nomination. However, the former MLA, who finished a strong second in the previous election cycle, is locked in the race as an independent contender.

Incidentally, the Shiv Sena is deploying its full organisational power to secure a victory for Sanap. Senior party leaders will actively hit the ground starting tomorrow, to bolster his campaign.

Shinde's remarks on "friendly fights" have highlighted local-level disagreements among the ruling parties, raising questions about alliance coordination.

Sanap's candidacy-backed heavily by Shiv Sena's machinery-transforms this contest into a significant test of political coordination and unity within the Mahayuti coalition.

The announcement comes just days after CM Fadnavis expressed strong confidence during a visit to Pune, asserting that the Mahayuti would win all five seats in the election.

Fadnavis had previously stated that Shiv Sena would work to ensure the success of BJP candidate Kaustubh Gawade, ruling out any involvement of the party in supporting Independent candidate Sachin Sanap. However, Shiv Sena's formal endorsement of Sanap creates a distinct divergence between the coalition partners in the Pune Teachers' constituency, setting the stage for an intense fight.

The battleground for the Pune Teachers' Legislative Council (MLC) seat is shaping up into a fierce contest, with the race likely culminating in a multi-cornered showdown.

Addressing swirling rumours of a "friendly fight" and potential unilateral backing for Sachin Sanap, Minister Shambhuraj Desai clarified that the ruling alliance intends to uphold coalition ethics. Emphasising that every political outfit holds the democratic right to expand its organisational footprint, Minister Desai maintained that there is no active discord within the coalition.

However, political analysts note that underlying frictions persist across multiple MLC segments. Strategic friction across Pune, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Amravati belts has exposed minor cross-currents within the Mahayuti framework. BJP rebels have surfaced in Amravati, complicating local equations.

Reports of tactical cross-support manoeuvres between constituents in Amravati and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar have amplified pressure on party leadership. To douse rebellious flames and tightly manage coalition alignment, high-profile leaders, including Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Minister Uday Samant, rushed to the Amravati division to manage local dissent.

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