Ahead of Lok Sabha elections 2024, even though seat-sharing talks between the Maha Vikas Aghadi partners remain inconclusive, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday announced that Amol Kirtikar would be his party`s candidate from the Mumbai North-West Lok Sabha constituency, reported news agency PTI.

Notably, Amol`s father and sitting MP from the seat Gajanan Kirtikar is affiliated to the rival Shiv Sena headed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Thackeray announced Amol`s candidature while addressing party workers in the constituency, though the talks among MVA partners (Sena (UBT), NCP (SP) and Congress) are still going on.

In his speech, Thackeray ridiculed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for the blunder in the reconstruction of Gokhale Bridge, and also took potshots at commissioner Iqbal Chahal over alleged corruption in the BMC which does not have an elected body for nearly two years, reported PTI.

The BMC has become the butt of people`s jokes after it was found that the reconstructed Gokhale Bridge over the railway tracks at Andheri station did not align with the connecting Barfiwala flyover, reported PTI.

Thackeray dared the ruling BJP to hold elections to the assembly and municipal corporations along with the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, reported PTI.

Besides Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the BJP`s first list of Lok Sabha candidates also included Kripashankar Singh, he noted, claiming that the saffron party had once accused Singh (who was then with the Congress) of money laundering and possession of disproportionate assets, reported PTI.

In 2019, the BJP fielded a former Congress worker who went on to defeat (then Congress candidate) Jyotiraditya Scindia in Guna, but now this worker has been dumped and Scindia has been given the BJP ticket, Thackeray said, reported PTI.

Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar, who heads the NCP (SP), on Saturday declared MP Supriya Sule as their candidate from Maharashtra`s Baramati Lok Sabha seat, amid speculation that Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar`s wife Sunetra Pawar could be fielded from there, reported PTI.

The octogenarian leader made the announcement during a rally organised by the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi in Bhor tehsil of Pune district. Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena (UBT), an MVA constituent, was also present at the event.

The Election Commission will announce the Lok Sabha poll schedule on March 14 or March 15, said Sharad Pawar. The EC has allotted “man blowing turha (a traditional trumpet)” symbol to his outfit, reported PTI.

“The elections will decide the future of our country. Nobody was so anxious about the future of the country so far, but now a change is needed. Today, PM Modi is not paying any attention towards farmer suicides. Instead, he is focussing all his attention only on Gujarat,” he said.

(With inputs from PTI)

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