Lok Sabha elections 2024: Conflict arises among Mahayuti allies over Satara seat candidacy

BJP MP Udayanraje Bhosale is the frontrunner for the Satara seat for Lok Sabha elections 2024, but Purushottam Jadhav of Shiv Sena is also contending

The Satara Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra is causing difficulties among the ruling Mahayuti alliance partners, particularly between the BJP and the Shiv Sena, as leaders from both parties indicate interest in winning the seat.

Udayanraje Bhosale, a Rajya Sabha member and descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is said to be the frontrunner for the Satara Lok Sabha seat. However, Purushottam Jadhav, the Satara district unit president of Shiv Sena, is also contending for the seat, reported PTI. 

According to the report, traditionally, the Shiv Sena has contested the Satara seat, and Jadhav believes he is the best fit for the parliamentary seat within the Mahayuti coalition.

Speaking about his meeting with Bhosale, senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis claimed that discussions had taken place, but clarity would emerge once the party released its candidate list. "I met Udayanraje Bhosale, and we held talks. All things will be cleared once the party releases the list (of candidates)," Fadnavis was quoted as saying in the PTI report. 

Bhosale, who earlier won the Lok Sabha elections as an NCP candidate before joining the BJP, has emerged as a prominent figure in Satara's political landscape.

Despite the difficult connection between Bhosale and his cousin Shivendraraje Bhosale, a BJP MLA, the latter has indicated indifference to contesting the Lok Sabha elections and vowed support for the BJP's nominee, the PTI report further stated. 

Meanwhile, the NCP, led by Ajit Pawar, has expressed an interest in contesting the Satara seat, citing the party's prior victories there.

Bhosale has rejected any interest in running on the NCP ticket, despite state minister Girish Mahajan allegedly exploring the prospect. "Shivendraraje and I spoke for some time over the Lok Sabha polls. He made it very clear that he is not interested in contesting the Lok Sabha elections. He also assured that he would work for the candidate given by the BJP," Mahajan told PTI. 

As the parties negotiate the difficulties of alliance politics, the candidature for the Satara Lok Sabha seat remains a source of controversy within the Mahayuti coalition, the PTI report further added. 

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