Amid ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2024, Shiv Sena`s Thane Lok Sabha seat candidate Naresh Mhaske on Wednesday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for choosing him to contest from the prestigious constituency.

After his candidature was announced, Mhaske visited the Anand Ashram, the residence of Shiv Sena stalwart the late Anand Dighe, and his memorial in Thane city and paid rich tributes to him.

The former mayor of Thane, the political turf of Shinde, also called on MNS president Raj Thackeray and sought his blessings.

Talking to the media, Mhaske thanked PM Modi and Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena, for fielding him from the Thane Lok Sabha seat, reported news agency PTI.

The Shinde-led Sena, the NCP and the BJP are part of the ruling `Mahayuti` alliance.

“All constituent parties of Mahayuti are working round-the-clock and reaching out to voters,” said Mhaske when asked about the delay in announcing his candidature, reported PTI.

He will take on sitting Lok Sabha MP Rajan Vichare of the Shiv Sena (UBT), whose candidature was announced long back.

The Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday nominated ex-mayor Naresh Mhaske and sitting MP Hemant Godse as its candidates from Thane and Nashik Lok Sabha constituencies, respectively, ending weeks of suspense for Lok Sabha elections 2024.

The party also officially declared the candidature of CM Shinde`s son and sitting MP Shrikant Shinde from Kalyan constituency.

With this, the Shiv Sena has fielded candidates for 15 Lok Sabha seats including three in Mumbai. It was successful in retaining Thane and Kalyan seats despite intense lobbying by the BJP.

Of the 48 seats in the state, the BJP has fielded 27 candidates, NCP led by Ajit Pawar four, and Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP) one.

The ruling alliance is yet to declare the candidate for the Palghar Lok Sabha seat, but the BJP will likely field its nominee from there.

The undivided Shiv Sena contested 22 seats in 2019 elections.

Godse`s renomination from Nashik constituency in north Maharashtra indicates that the Shiv Sena prevailed over its allies BJP and Ajit Pawar-led NCP, which were coveting this seat.

A former mayor of Thane, Mhaske will take on Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate and incumbent MP Rajan Vichare. A straight fight is on the cards between Godse and Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Rajabhau Waje.

Thane is the stronghold of CM Shinde who represents the Kopri-Pachpakhadi assembly constituency in the city.

Shrikant Shinde`s candidature from Kalyan was just a formality given that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had declared him as the `Mahayuti` (grand alliance) nominee last month.

He had won the Kalyan seat in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections as the candidate of Shiv Sena (Undivided).

Thane, Nashik and Kalyan will go to the polls on May 20.

(With inputs from PTI)

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