BJP, Shinde Sena at odds over Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha seat

As the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance- comprising Congress, Sharad Pawar’s NCP, and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction– moves closer to finalising the seat distribution formula in Maharashtra, a rift has emerged within the ‘Mahayuti’ coalition, involving the ruling alliance partners BJP and Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde. The two parties are at odds over the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha constituency in the Konkan region.

A day after Union Minister Narayan Rane asserted BJP’s claim over the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra, Ramdas Kadam, a senior leader of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, strongly countered the BJP’s stance.

Narayan Rane posted on ‘X’, “Lok Sabha elections will be announced soon. Many leaders from various parties are asserting their rights regarding the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha seat. Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha seat belongs to BJP, and only we will contest this seat.”

In response, Ramdas Kadam questioned whether the BJP’s intention is to eliminate every party and stand alone in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. “You claim Raigad, and now you are also vying for the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurga seat. This cannot be tolerated,” Kadam said.

He emphasised that the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurga seat has traditionally belonged to Shiv Sena, with the party having a sitting MP from the constituency. Kadam declared, “At any cost, we will fight from this seat. I was the last one to campaign for the current MP from here in Sawantwadi.”

Taking a jibe at the BJP, Kadam commented, “This seems like saying we are both brothers. We will do sharing and caring, but only while sharing my part and not touching yours.”