MUMBAI, Jan 13: Shiv Sena has come out with its second list of nominees for the ensuing parliamentary elections, But T N Seshan name finds no place in it. But the party has offered him the Washim seat in Akola district.``We have offered him Washim as we feel that it is one of the most safest seats in Maharashtra. In the last election, Sena nominee Pundlik Gawali had won the seat by defeating Congress stalwart and former Chief Minister Sudhakarrao Naik by a margin of over 18,000 votes. However, so far there is no response from him,'' a senior Shiv Sena MP told The Indian Express.
In fact, now it will be more comfortable for Seshan to retain the Washim seat, since Naik has declared that he will not contest the parliamentary elections owing to ill health. Secondly, policy decision of the alliance to carve out Washim as a separate district from Akola, will also help the party in the mid-term polls.
Sena supremo Bal Thackeray is in constant touch with the former Chief Election Commissioner as the
former is of the firm view that Seshan should be elected as a Sena nominee, the MP said.
Originally it was proposed that Seshan should contest from Mumbai, either from south-central, currently represented by Mohan Rawale or north-central, now held by Narayan Athavale. However, the proposal was dropped after a section of the Sena leaders opposed the move, saying, it was improper to impose an outsider on the Mumbaites.
At his media briefing on January 9, Thackeray too had also endorsed the views expressed by his party colleagues. However, in the same breath, he had said that his party will ensure that Seshan is elected to Parliament either from Maharashtra or any other state with the support of the Shiv Sena.
Apparently, Seshan is still keen to contest as a Sena nominee from Mumbai, the MP said, adding, now since the party has declared the list of candidates, it will be difficult to adjust Seshan in the metropolis.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena general secretary Subhash Desai today said that the possibility of
Seshan contesting as a Sena nominee is not ruled out.
``We are hopeful that he will contest on a Shiv Sena ticket either from Maharashtra or any other state,'' Desai said.
In the second list released by Desai, the major change is in Ramtek in Nagpur district, where the party has offered a seat to Ashok Gujar, Independent MLA, who is associate member of the Shiv Sena. Gujar's nomination will help the Shiv Sena to improve its position in the Ramtek parliamentary constituency. In the last election, party nominee Prakash Jadhav was badly mauled by Congress member Datta Meghe. In the ensuing elections, while Meghe has shifted to the neighbouring Wardha district, Congress is yet to decide its candidate for Ramtek.
Jayant Bhosale, who was Sena-BJP supported independent candidate from Karad constituency in the last elections, will be party's official nominee for the ensuing mid-term polls.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
