Upset BJP leaders to fight against ally Sena in Jalna

Three Bharatiya Janata Party leaders have threatened to contest as Independents from Jalna in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly polls after the seat went to Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena as part of the Mahayuti's seat-sharing arrangement.

The Shiv Sena has nominated Arjun Khotkar from Jalna in central Maharashtra, the epicentre of the ongoing Maratha quota protests led by activist Manoj Jarange.

In 2019, Congress' Kailash Gorantyal had defeated Khotkar in this constituency.

Bhaskar Danve, BJP's district vice president and cousin of former Union Minister Raosaheb Danve, on Thursday filed his nomination for the Jalna seat as an Independent.

We wanted the Jalna seat left for the BJP, but it has been given to Sena's Khotkar, he said.

Former Jalna Municipal Council president Sunil Ardad and BJP ex-city president Rajesh Raut have also declared their intention to contest from the seat, signalling that Khotkar could find it difficult to garner support from all Mahayuti partners.

BJP, Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP are constituents of the ruling Mahayuti alliance.

Shiv Sena has been contesting from Jalna for the past 25 years. BJP workers had demanded that it be given to us. However, as per Mahayuti's seat-sharing arrangement, it has gone to the Sena. Therefore, I've decided to contest as an Independent, Ardad told reporters.

Raut has expressed his eagerness to contest the polls, aligning himself with Jarange, who has vowed to support candidates backing reservation for Marathas in education and government jobs.

The discontent among BJP leaders was evident on Thursday when Khotkar went to file his nomination. He was accompanied mostly by family members.

Sources said Nationalist Congress Party's Arvind Chavan, who was vying for the seat, is also unhappy.

Meanwhile, MLA Gorantyal and his wife Sangeeta submitted their nomination papers, though Congress is yet to announce its candidate for the Jalna seat. Sources said Gorantyal will most likely be the party's choice.

Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra assembly will be held on November 20 and votes will be counted on November 23.