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Senior NCP leader and Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal on April 19 said he has decided not to seek ticket from the Nashik Lok Sabha constituency so as to end the deadlock over the seat also coveted by the ally Shiv Sena.
The sitting MP from the north Maharashtra constituency, Hemant Godse, belongs to the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
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Speaking at a press conference here, Mr. Bhujbal said during the seat-sharing talks with the ruling allies Shiv Sena and BJP, NCP chief and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar staked claim to the Nashik seat, saying that his party had more MLAs in the region.
"When we were asked about the candidate, the name of former MP [Chhagan Bhujbal's nephew] Sameer Bhujbal was proposed. But [BJP leader] Amit Shah said I should contest even though I had not asked for a ticket," he said.
CM Shinde, however, demanded the seat as the incumbent MP is from his party, Mr. Bhujbal added.
No decision was taken for three weeks while the opposition MVA's candidate had already started campaigning, he said.
"I asked deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and state BJP president Chandrashekar Bawankule about the announcement of Sameer Bhujbal's candidature, and both said the BJP leadership wanted me to contest," the senior minister said, claiming that "all sections of society expressed support for my candidature for the development of Nashik" but his name was not announced.
"To end the deadlock, I have decided to withdraw from the race. The Mahayuti alliance should declare the candidate soon, otherwise we may face difficulty winning the seat," Mr. Bhujbal added.
