Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena MLA and Maharashtra Health Minister Tanaji Sawant has warned the BJP that the Shiv Sena will field its candidates on the 18 seats it won in 2019. We are the real and authorized Shiv Sena, no one should take us lightly. We do not accept anyone taking us lightly. This statement of Tanaji Sawant is considered to be the beginning of a big war of words between BJP and Shiv Sena (Shinde) over seat sharing. It should be noted that Tanaji Sawant is considered to be the most powerful leader after Chief Minister Shinde in the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Sawant’s statement came on Monday at such a time when Chief Minister Shinde returned after meeting BJP leader Amit Shah on Sunday night and said that he will fight all the elections together with BJP.
Tanaji Sawant said that in 2024 Shiv Sena will contest from the Dharashiv seat of the Lok Sabha. There has been a tussle between BJP and Shiv Sena for the last few days regarding this seat. Tanaji Sawant said that not only Dharashiv, but Shiv Sena candidates will contest all the seats on which Shiv Sena candidates won in 2019. In 2019, Shiv Sena had won 18 seats, out of these 18 seats, we will not let BJP take even a single seat. The minister said that BJP should not forget that we are a separate group and we have a separate existence. We are the authorized Shiv Sena and we have the right on the traditional seats of Shiv Sena.
Shinde had said that the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which are part of the ruling alliance in the state, would contest all elections together from now on. Talking to reporters in Osmanabad (Dharashiv), Sawant said, ‘Shiv Sena (undivided) fielded its candidates on 23 Lok Sabha seats in the 2019 general elections and won 18 seats. We will do the same in the next Lok Sabha elections. Shiv Sena will contest on 23 seats. Local BJP MLA Rana Jagjit singh had claimed that the BJP would win the Osmanabad Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 elections. Sawant’s comment came a day after this.
