The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Murji Patel as its candidate for the upcoming Andheri (East) Assembly by-election that is scheduled to be held on November 3. Patel is the joint candidate of the BJP and the Shiv Sena faction headed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, now known as the ‘Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena’, news agency PTI reported.
Patel, who is ex-BMC corporator, is set to file his nominations today, which is the last day for filing the nominations.
Ahead of filing the nominations, Patel said that “I am a worker of the BJP and do what the party asks me to do,” as quoted by PTI. He was accompanied by the BJP’s Mumbai unit president Ashish Shelar and MLA Nitesh Rane along with Deepak Kesarkar, minister and spokesperson of the Eknath Shinde camp.
Also Read: EC allots ‘two swords and a shield’ symbol to Eknath Shinde faction ‘Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena’
From the Uddhav Thackeray faction, Rutuja Latke, the widow of former Shiv Sena MLA Ramesh Latke, will be contesting the by-polls. The death of her husband and sitting MLA Ramesh Latke in May due to a heart attack in Dubai necessitated the bye-polls.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituents – Uddhav Thackeray faction, Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress – are supporting Latke’s candidature.
Also Read: Andheri East by-poll: BMC accepts Uddhav faction candidate Rutuja Latke’s resignation
Her resignation was accepted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday following orders of the Bombay High Court. She had resigned on October 3, and despite several requests her resignation was not accepted.
According to Rule 6 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Service (Conduct) Regulations, 1989, an employee of the BMC is prohibited from contesting elections. On October 12, she had moved the HC, which a day later, directed BMC to accept the resignation, Live Law reported.