Mumbai:

Uddhav Thackeray’s faction received its first election immediately after a BJP-backed coup led by Eknath Shinde cut up his Shiv Sena and unseated his authorities in Maharashtra.

Rutuja Latke, the candidate of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), received the by-election in Andheri (East) in Mumbai by a large margin of over 66,000 votes.

It was not likely a contest after the BJP withdrew its candidate following appeals by a number of events for assist to Rutuja Latke. She additionally had the backing of the Congress and the NCP, companions within the Maha Vikas Aghadi that crashed after the Sena coup.

The solely shock within the outcomes was that the NOTA or None of The Above possibility received extra votes than the six different candidates.

The election grew to become crucial after the loss of life of Rutuja Latke’s husband and Shiv Sena MLA Ramesh Latke in May.

Ms Latke, who labored within the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) as a clerk, might file her nomination solely after a court docket ordered the Mumbai civic physique to simply accept her resignation.

The election in Andheri, part of the Mumbai metropolitan space, can also be important forward of civic polls in Mumbai.

This is the primary election that the Thackerays-led Shiv Sena is combating with a brand new title – Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray). For the primary time in many years, it’s combating below a brand new image, the ‘mashaal’ or flaming torch.

The unique title and bow-and-arrow stay, for now, with the Election Commission that gave Eknath Shinde’s faction the title Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena and sword-and-shield as image.

Though the BJP declared it was withdrawing its candidate out of respect for the Sena MLA who had died, Team Thackeray’s Sanjay Raut mentioned the BJP had sensed its defeat: “The BJP conducted a survey which predicted that its candidate (Murji Patel) would lose by at least 45,000 votes.”

The Shinde faction does not have a lot of a presence right here, so the BJP was largely by itself in opposition to Team Thackeray’s loyal Marathi voter.

Even Uddhav Thackeray’s estranged cousin Raj Thackeray had requested the BJP to not subject a candidate.

Uddhav Thackeray’s faction known as it “a script to save face” forward of polls for the BMC, India’s richest civic physique.

The Shiv Sena has dominated the BMC – at present run by an administrator because the final time period ended early this 12 months – for 25 years. That’s the place the factional battle will take a look at who claims the legacy of Sena founder Bal Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray’s father.

In the earlier election in Andheri East, Ramesh Latke defeated Murji Patel, who contested as an unbiased, by over 15,000 votes.