MLC poll: Jolt for Sena (UBT) in Aurangabad-cum-Jalna Local Authorities constituency as party candidate backs out last minute

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: In a major setback for Shiv Sena (UBT), its party candidate for Aurangabad-cum-Jalna Local Authorities constituency election, Devyani Dongaonkar, withdrew her nomination only a few hours before the deadline on Thursday afternoon.

Speaking with media persons, her husband Krushna Patil Dongaonkar said he and his wife were preparing to contest the district bank elections and had told the party that it was not possible for them to contest two elections at the same time. Dongaonkar, who is the chairman of a sugar mill at Gangapur, also accused BJP of allegedly pressurising him by sending a show-cause notice to his factory through the department of cooperation over dissolving the board of directors of the mill.

However, in contrast to the explanation from Dongaonkar, Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut announced that the couple had been expelled from the party. “The action has been taken on the orders of party chief Uddhav Thackeray for anti-party activities,” he said in a social media post.

Amid political drama involving Dongaonkar, Ganesh Lokhande, who was kept as the back-up option by Sena (UBT), was given an AB form by the party to contest the poll. Lokhande, who is the group leader of Sena (UBT) in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC), will take on Suhas Shirsath of BJP with political observers expecting a one-sided battle considering the strength of BJP in the constituency.

In fact, Krushna Patil Dongaonkar also told media persons that the result of the election was already “clear” and nothing would work.

“When (party MLC) Ambadas Danve asked for my wife’s photo for the Legislative Council candidacy, I told him to prepare an alternative candidate. The election was expensive, there was no point in contesting. I tried to seek help from (DCM Ekanth) Shinde, but he did not offer any,” he said.

Reacting on the poll debacle, Danve said the party will give a full-throated response to the “dirty politics” by BJP. He also said that BJP’s politics is based on “money, terror, and temptation”.

Separately, Sillod Sena MLA Abdul Sattar kept his word and ensured his son withdraws nomination. Earlier, accusing BJP of strangulating Sena, Sattar had announced rebellion but later changed his mind after meeting with DCM Eknath shinde.

Elsewhere in Marathwada, Nanded Local Authorities constituency election saw two arch rivals Ashok Chavan of BJP and Pratap Patil Chikhalikar of NCP ironing out differences with the latter asking his son to withdraw from the poll race as an independent. Now in Nanded, Chavan’s confidant and sitting MLC Amarnath Rajurkar will take on Krushna Patil Ashtikar, the son of Hingoli Sena (UBT) MP Nagesh Patil Ashtikar. Krushna will be the MVA sponsored candidate for Sena (UBT) as Ramdas Patil, who was expected to contest as a Congress candidate backed out from the race.