The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction on Wednesday alleged that Rutuja Latke, their candidate for the Andheri East Assembly by-poll was being pressured by the Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde camp to contest on their ticket, reported PTI. The by-poll will be the first electoral test following the split between the two Shiv Sena factions in June.
Latke on Wednesday said that she has not met CM Shinde and that she will fight for the Uddhav-led faction.
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Former Maharashtra minister Anil Parab, belonging to the Thackeray faction, told reporters today that Latke’s resignation as an administrative officer in the K ward of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was not being accepted, alleging she was being forced to contest from the Shinde camp. If in the next two days, her resignation is not accepted, she will not be able to file her nomination papers by October 14, a party leader had said, as per PTI.
Parab added that Latke has moved the high court regarding this matter, adding that BMC commissioner I S Chahal was not giving reasons why her resignation was not being accepted.
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The by-poll was necessitated following the death of MLA Ramesh Latke, who was the husband of Rutuja Latke. The bye-poll is scheduled on November 3.