Mumbai, September 30: Aaditya Thackeray, the son of Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, on Monday officially announced that he would be contesting the October 21 Maharashtra Assembly elections from the Worli constituency. Aaditya Thackeray is the first from his family to contest polls. Shortly after Aaditya Thackeray's announcement, Shiv Sena, in an apparent way, declared him as the party's chief ministerial candidate. Ramdas Athawale Demands BJP-Shiv Sena to Allot 10 Seats to RPI For Contesting in Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2019.

"I am contesting the elections... For me, this is a big moment and historic development. Let anybody stand against me, it's their right. I am not scared as I am sure you will not let me down," Aaditya Thackeray said at a Shiv Sena gathering called for his announcement. No member of the Thackeray family, one of the most politically influential family in Maharashtra, has ever contested an election or even held a constitutional post since Bal Thackeray founded the Shiv Sena in 1966. Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2019: Congress-NCP to Contest on 125 Seats Each.

Aaditya Thackeray Officially Announces His Candidature:

Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut used a Chandrayaan analogy to convey the message that the party is determined to make Aaditya Thackeray the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. "Due to some technical glitch, Chandrayaan 2 couldn't land on the moon but we will ensure that this son (Aaditya Thackeray) reaches the sixth floor of Mantralaya (the Chief Minister's office) on 21st October," Sanjay Raut said apparently declaring Aaditya as Shiv Sena's chief ministerial candidate.

The announcement about the chief ministerial candidate comes at a time when the Shiv Sena is playing hardballs against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over a seat-sharing deal. Shiv Sena is adamant on 50-50 formula under which both allies will contest 135 seats each, leaving the remaining 18 seats to the smaller allies. However, the BJP is of the view that seats shouldn't be divided equally between the two main partners.

The BJP had reportedly proposed a seat-sharing formula under which it would contest 144 seats, share 126 with Shiv Sena and allot the rest to other allies. The Shiv Sena has so far not reacted to this yet. The 288-member Maharashtra Assembly will go to the polls on October 21 while the results will be declared on October 24. In the 2014 assembly elections, Shiv Sena had won 63 seats, while BJP had bagged 123 seats.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 30, 2019 07:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).