Mahayuti’s Nashik pick to be declared today, says Mahajan

Nashik: The Mahayuti candidate for Nashik Lok Sabha seat will be declared by Wednesday, said BJP cabinet minister Girish Mahajan, who is in charge of the alliance’s poll campaign in the eight parliamentary constituencies in the Nashik region.Speaking to reporters after chairing a meeting of local office-bearers of Mahayuti partners on Tuesday, Mahajan said: “It does not matter to Mahayuti if it takes a little time to declare the Nashik candidate.” He refused to speculate on which alliance partner will get the seat, though chief minister Eknath Shinde, who is also the Shiv Sena chief, had recently said in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar that his party would be contesting from Nashik.“I am not on the decision-making committee. I believe it will first be finalized which party will get the seat and then the candidate will be announced. Whoever the candidate is, it will be Mahayuti that will contest from Nashik,” Mahajan reiterated.Mahajan, who went to the residence of senior NCP cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal and discussed political scenario with him, said he (Bhujbal) is a towering personality in political field and the party took his guidance.“We discussed the campaign strategy for the Nashik and Dindori seats. In every assembly segment, we have over 25,000 party functionaries who have already completed several rounds of door-to-door campaigns to garner support for the candidate in general and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in particular,” said Mahajan.He added: “With three MLAs in the Nashik parliamentary constituency and over 70 corporators in the Nashik Municipal Corporation, the constituency is a BJP and, hence, a Mahayuti bastion. It is a foregone conclusion that the alliance will win this seat convincingly.”Earlier part of the day Mahajan met Shantigiri Maharaj, the spiritual leader who has filed his nomination papers as an independent as well as a Shiv Sena candidate albeit without the mandatory AB form. “We hold Shantigiri Maharaj in high regard. He has a very strong following in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Shirdi, Nashik, Dindori and Dhule. Him contesting the elections could be a matter of concern for us and, therefore, we approached him and requested him to withdraw,” said Mahajan.However, when it was pointed out that Shantigiri Maharaj had held a press meet, claiming that his supporters were adamant on contesting, Mahajan said that he would again talk to the spiritual leader. During his media interaction along with Mahajan, Bhujbal said: “We will have to make Modi PM again. We will ensure the victory of Mahayuti candidates in Nashik, Dindori and Dhule.”State BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who reached Nashik late on Tuesday night to hold a meeting with BJP functionaries, told reporters that CM Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Ajit Pawar will take a final call on which of the two parties — NCP and Shiv Sena — will contest from Nashik.