MNS, NCP urge BJP to withdraw Andheri east candidate

MNS chief Raj Thackeray and NCP president Sharad Pawar on Sunday urged BJP to withdraw its candidate for the Andheri east assembly election. The Uddhav Thackeray candidate Rutuja Latke is the wife of late Shiv Sena MLA Ramesh Latke who was representing the constituency but died early this year. In a letter to deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, Raj wrote, "... Whenever there has been a situation, where a sitting MLA has passed away and a family member has filed for their candidature, our party has refrained from fighting the bypoll...," said Raj. Fadnavis responded by saying he would discuss the issue with the party. Pawar also appealed to the BJP to withdraw from the bypoll. " Let us not make this a prestige issue. If the elections are held unopposed, it will lead to a good message to the state.