In a first, Uddhav to vote for foe-turned-friend Cong

April 26, 2024 20:44

Uddhav Thackeray

Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray president Uddhav Thackeray will, perhaps for the first time, vote for the Congress, his political foe-turned-friend, a reflection of the churning Maharashtra polity has undergone since 2019, a year which saw realignment of parties.

The Congress, part of the opposition bloc, on Thursday fielded its city unit president Varsha Gaikwad from the Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha seat, which covers the area where Thackeray is registered as a voter.

The former CM's residence, Matoshree, is in Vandre (Bandra) East assembly constituency, which falls under the Mumbai North Central seat.

"I am going to vote for Varsha Gaikwad as she is contesting from here (Mumbai North Central)," Thackeray told reporters on Friday.

Under the seat-sharing formula worked out between the Maha Vikas Aghadi allies, the Congress will contest on two Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai, including North Central, and the Shiv Sena-UBT on four.

The undivided Shiv Sena and the Congress were bitter political and ideological rivals until they came together to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance with the united Nationalist Congress Party in 2019 to keep the BJP out of power in Maharashtra.

However, their coalition government collapsed in June 2022 following a revolt in the Shiv Sena. -- PTI

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