In an unusual development, the ruling Shiv Sena on Tuesday brought sitting BJP MP Rajendra Gavit to its fold and nominated him as its candidate in Palghar Lok Sabha constituency.
In what can be termed candidate swapping arrangement between the two saffron parties, Gavit — who had won the May 2018 Palghar by-polls on a BJP ticket — joined the Shiv Sena. Minutes after Gavit’s entry to his party, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray nominated him as the Sena candidate for the Lok Sabha polls from Palghar.
The Sena’s decision to nominate Gavit as the Sena’s candidate from Palghar came after Shriniwas Vanaga — who had unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha by-election held in May last year against BJP’s Gavit — stepped aside and agreed to contest the Maharashtra assembly polls scheduled to be held in October this year.
“I have not forgotten promise made to Vanaga last year. Sending Vanaga to Lok Sabha is my responsibility. First we will get him elected to the State Assembly and later also send him to Lok Sabha,” Uddhav said.
Vanaga said he and his family members had decided against contesting the Lok Sabha this time round and would instead concentrate on the Palghar Assembly seat.
“I will continue to work in Palghar district. I will contest the Assembly polls later year,” Vanaga said.
It may be recalled that last year’s Palghar bypoll had been necessitated by the untimely death of its sitting MP Chintaman Vanga in January 2018.
In the May 2018 by-election, the Shiv Sena had fielded late sitting BJP MP Chintaman Vanga’s son Shrinivas Vanga, while the BJP had nominated former Congress Minister Rajendra Gavit as its candidate.
The BJP managed to win the Palghar seat by a margin of 29,572 votes mainly because of the division of votes polled by four other political parties in the fray.