Sena, NCP factions struggle to field candidates

Nagpur: Several political parties that remain key players in western Maharashtra have struggled to field candidates across all seats in the Nagpur municipal corporation elections, exposing organisational limitations and last-minute alliance compulsions in Vidarbha.Among the Shiv Sena and NCP factions, only Shiv Sena (Shinde), which entered into an alliance with BJP, managed relatively wider coverage. However, political observers said doubts remain whether the party could have fielded strong candidates in all wards without the tie-up. The other three parties — Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Ajit), and NCP (SP) — chose to go solo but failed to nominate candidates across the board.Former home minister and senior NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh attributed the shortfall to time constraints. "We did not get enough time. Otherwise, we would have definitely nominated candidates for all seats. The meeting with Congress went on till late night and the next day was the last date for filing nominations. It is not possible to finalise candidates in a matter of hours," he said.For NCP (Ajit), alliance dynamics within the Mahayuti proved limiting. With BJP and Shiv Sena (Shinde) joining hands, the third alliance partner was left with fewer options. Party vice-president Rajabhau Taksale said efforts were made to field candidates everywhere, but time worked against them. "We tried a lot, but it did not materialise. With more time, we would have nominated candidates in all seats," he said.Shiv Sena (UBT) too struggled to mount a large-scale solo contest, with the party witnessing infighting and allegations over ticket distribution from senior local leaders.