Shiv Sena to Contest Konkan Graduate MLC Constituency Election For The First Time, Polls on June 25

Mumbai, June 6:  In its first, Uddhav Thackrey's Shiv Sena will contest the Konkan graduate MLC constituency election this year. The polling for much awaited MLC constituency elections will be held on June 25, 2018.  Shiv Sena, which will for the first time contest election in the region, so far, had always supported Niranjan Davkhare, who was in NCP earlier.

After Davkhare's shift to BJP, Sena has decided to give him a tough fight this time. Meanwhile, the Congress party already extended its support to NCP party candidates including Najeeb Mulla, Kapil Patil,  Rajendra Korde and Sandeep Tribakrao Bedse.

For the unversed, Sanjay More is Shiv Sena candidate for Kokan graduate MLC constituency while NCP has fielded Najeeb Mullah. The current MLC is Niranjan Davkhare who has been moved from NCP to BJP now.

In May, BJP defeated ally Shiv Sena and won the Palghar Lok Sabha bypoll with its candidate Rajendra Gavit defeating Shrinivas Wanaga of the Shiv Sena by 29,572 votes. The Shiv Sena had fielded Shrinivas Wanaga, late Chintaman Wanaga's son, while the BJP put up Gavit, a former Congress minister, as their candidates.

It must be noted that the bypoll was necessitated due to the death of BJP MP Chintaman Wanaga and saw a bitter face-off between the BJP and the Shiv Sena, the sparring ruling allies in the state. According to a report by PTI, the Sena chief had released an audio clip of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis In the run-up to the Palghar Lok Sabha bypoll,  purportedly asking the BJP workers to use all possible means to win the election.