By Tejas

Pune, August 31, 2024: Although the Election Commission of India has yet to officially announce the Maharashtra Assembly Elections, political parties across the state have already ramped up their preparations. With the major alliances—Mahayuti and Mahavikas Aghadi—jostling for influence, every party in the alliance is aiming to secure as many seats as possible to contest in the upcoming elections.

In Pune, the situation within the Mahavikas Aghadi alliance is heating up as the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Congress begin searching for suitable candidates for various constituencies. In the midst of this, Shiv Sena party officials have drawn significant attention by erecting large banners in the Yerawada area, calling for Sushma Andhare to be the party's candidate from the Vadgaon Sheri Assembly constituency.

The banners, emblazoned with the message, "Highly educated, fearless, and strong personality is the only best option for the overall development of Vadgaon Sheri Constituency," suggest that Shiv Sena is asserting its claim on this crucial seat.

Currently, Vadgaon Sheri is represented by Sunil Tingre of the NCP, who is aligned with Ajit Pawar's faction. However, with the Mahavikas Aghadi coalition in play, there is speculation that Sharad Pawar's NCP might want to retain control of this constituency.

However, the appearance of these banners hints at potential friction within the Mahavikas Aghadi regarding seat-sharing agreements.

Earlier, during a party meeting in Swargate, Shiv Sena officials demanded three constituencies in Pune—Hadapsar, Vadgaon Sheri, and Kothrud—out of the eight available. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen whether the NCP will cede the Vadgaon Sheri seat to Shiv Sena (UBT) and whether Sushma Andhare will indeed emerge as the candidate for this contested constituency.