MNS queers the pitch for Sardesai in Bandra East | Mumbai news

Mumbai: Bandra East is set to see a three-cornered contest in the upcoming assembly polls, as former MLA Trupti Sawant has filed her nomination as the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) candidate. She will take on the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Varun Sardesai, nephew of party chief Uddhav Thackeray and the NCP candidate Zeeshan Siddique, son of slain NCP leader and former minister Baba Siddique. A key MNS functionary, Akhil Chitre, has opposed Sawant’s candidature and claimed it was a deal struck to ensure Siddique’s victory.

Sawant, wife of former Shiv Sena MLA, late Prakash Sawant, had won a by election after her husband’s death. She had contested the 2019 assembly polls from Bandra East as an independent, against Shiv Sena’s Vishwanath Mahadeshwar and Congress’ Siddique, who won the election. On Monday, she filed nomination papers from the constituency as an MNS candidate.

Upset by her move, party functionary Akhil Chitre, the MNS candidate in the 2019 election, claimed on social media platform X that MNS was not fighting for winning the assembly seat but for its own selfish goals. He claimed the decision of MNS fielding a candidate was taken at a meeting held at Maqba Heights, the residence of Zeeshan Siddique, on October 28. Without naming Sawant, he alleged she had a deal and hence decided to contest the polls.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab said Sawant’s candidature was part of a plan to corner the party’s candidate, Varun Sardesai.

“Sawant had contested as an independent in 2019 – she was sponsored by Baba Siddique and was fielded to divide Marathi votes and defeat our candidate. This time too, she has been sponsored to defeat our candidate Varun Sardesai. Kunal Sarmalkar, nephew of late Shiv Sena deputy leader Shrikant Sarmalkar is also contesting as an independent to divide Hindu votes,” he said.

While Siddique was unavailable for comment, Sawant said she had not compromised with anyone and she was fighting to win.

“The allegations levelled against me are not true,” she said.