Maharashtra polls: Congress rebel refuses to pull out of contest in CM Eknath Shinde's seat

THANE: Congress rebel candidate and former Thane corporator Manoj Shinde refused to withdraw from the fight in the Kopri-Panchpakhadi assembly seat, raising concerns for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and ensuring a triangular fight in the seat considered a stronghold of chief minister Eknath Shinde.

The fight will now be between Manoj Shinde, Mahayuti’s candidate CM Eknath Shinde, and the MVA’s official candidate Kedar Dighe.

Observers fear that the rebellion by the Congress candidate could lead to a division of votes in the constituency, which incidentally was won by Eknath Shinde with a comfortable majority in the past.

“The Congress has been consistently ignoring the growth of the party and its leaders in this region despite repeated alerts. It may not be a surprise if Manoj Shinde switches over to one of the ruling parties for the sake of his supporters,” said a political source who did not wish to be named.

Meanwhile, 18 contestants withdrew their nominations, paving the way for 42 candidates to try their luck in the elections in the four seats within Thane corporation limits.