Raj Thackeray writes to BJP not to field candidate for Andheri East bypoll

Raj Thackeray, the chief of Maharashtra Navirman Sena (MNS) on Sunday wrote to Maharashtra Deputy CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis not to field his party's candidate for the upcoming Andheri East Assembly constituency bypoll.

In the letter posted on social media, Thackeray said the MNS will not be contesting the November 3 byelection to show its reverence for late MLA Ramesh Latke, whose death has necessitated the election.

Latke, the sitting MLA from Andheri East, passed away following a cardiac arrest in May 2022.


Appealing to Fadnavis, Raj Thackeray said, "I sincerely request you not to enter the byelection and field a candidate against Rutuja Latke. I have witnessed late Ramesh Latke's journey and growth in the political arena."

"The Andheri East bypoll was necessitated after the death of sitting MLA Ramesh Latke and his wife Rutuja has filed her nomination. The MNS will not contest the election as our way of paying reverence to the departed soul," the MNS chief said.

Fadnavis said that the letter was sent to him "in good faith". He would have to discuss with the party leadership before taking any decision, the leader added.

"I will have to discuss the issue with our party leaders and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. I admit that he sent the letter in good faith, but we will seriously discuss it," he said.

Congress and NCP are backing Rutuja Latke, who is contesting from Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray party.

"I welcome Raj Thackeray's appeal, but it is too late. The nominations have already been filed and the election is forced on us because of the BJP. The BJP has contested similar bypolls in the past when the election was necessitated due to a sitting MLA's death," Sena spokesperson Arvind Sawant said.

"The decision of not contesting the bye-poll will be taken by leaders Devendra Fadnavis and Ashish Shelar, who is the Mumbai BJP unit chief," BJP MLC Prasad Lad said.