Uddhav-led Sena wins Andheri (E) unopposed as BJP withdraws candidate

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena’s Rutuja Latke won the Andheri (East) bypoll unopposed after BJP withdrew its candidate, Murji Patel.

The party did so after requests came in from leaders across the political spectrum because the tenure left on the seat is only for one and a half years.

“It is better to let Rutuja (Latke) win unopposed. Contesting an election for the sake of one and a half years is meaningless. It takes a heavy toll on all the candidates who contest assembly elections. It is better to avoid it this time,” Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar had said earlier.

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Requests from all corners

On Sunday, Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray wrote to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, requesting the BJP not to contest the bypoll. In reply, Fadnavis said that he could not take the decision alone and the matter had to be discussed at the senior level in the party.

MLA Pratap Sarnaik of the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde had also written to the latter, requesting him to ask the BJP to not field a candidate against Rutuja.

Rutuja is the wife of late Shiv Sena leader Ramesh Latke. “I would like to thank all party leaders and workers for supporting me. I will work for the welfare of the public,” she said on Monday.

(With agency inputs)