The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has fielded Shishir Shinde from Bhandup Assembly constituency that falls in Mumbai North East constituency that the party had narrowly missed during the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year. Shinde had led in Bhandup segment during the LS polls giving a reason for the Sena to worry.

The Sena has fielded a political novice, Sunil Raut, the brother of Sena MP Sanjay Raut. Besides, some Sena leaders in Bhandup are sulking as they did not get the ticket.

The Shiv Sena, despite losing the seat in the 2004 Assembly elections and despite setbacks it suffered when leaders like Narayan Rane and Raj Thackeray left the party, had managed to win in two corporator wards in Bhandup during the 2007 election to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. However, during this year’s Lok Sabha election, the MNS posted a lead of 8,000 votes in Bhandup Assembly segment of Mumbai North East.

The segment was carved out of Vikhroli and Mulund in the delimitation exercise. Mumbai North East is the only Lok Sabha constituency where MNS posted a lead in three segments — Bhandup, Vikhroli and Ghatkopar West. The Bhandup seat, mostly comprising middle class Maharashtrians, had otherwise been a Shiv Sena stronghold.

Shinde, a former Sainik himself, is said to be well aware of the internal bickering in the local Shiv Sena whose members had wanted Bhaskar Vichare to be fielded. Their other nominee was Ramesh Korgaonkar a local Shiv Sena corporator.

Sena candidate Raut, on the other hand, became active in the Sena only three years ago. “Vichare enjoys a good reputation in Bhandup while Korgaonkar has his own vote bank. Both have money and muscle power and know ground level equations unlike Raut who got a ticket only because of the lobbying done by his brother,” said a local Shiv sainik.

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