TV host Aadesh Bandekar to contest from Mahim

Popular Marathi television show host Aadesh Bandekar, who joined Shiv Sena last month, filed his nomination from Mahim in central Mumbai on Thursday. He was accompanied by hundreds of Sena activists as he started a rally from Matoshree, residence of Sena chief Bal Thackeray in suburban Bandra.

The announcement of Aadesh's candidature for Mahim seat came in the afternoon ending a controversy over Mahim seat. Sitting Sena MLA Sada Sarvankar and former Mumbai mayor Milind Vaidya were also in the race for the seat.

Sarvankar's supporters demonstrated violently near senior Sena leader Manohar Joshi's Shivaji Park residence, blaming Joshi for the denial of a ticket to Sarvankar.

Aadesh was the second TV personality to join Sena after singer and Indian Idol winner Abhijeet Sawant.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has fielded party general secretary Nitin Sardesai from Mahim. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party's Chembur candidate Sadashiv Lokhande joined the MNS and is contesting from the same seat.

Anil Thakur is the BJP's new candidate from Chembur. Commenting on change of candidates from Chembur, BJP state general secretary Vinod Tawade said it was the party's 'political ploy' to announce Lokhande's name initially.

Image: Aadesh Bandekar interacts with Shiv Sena workers at Sena Bhavan in Mumbai.

Photograph: Sahil Salvi