Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Rutuja Latke wins the Andheri East By-poll with 66,530 votes; Uddhav Thackeray declares that "the war has started with victory"

The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) Chief's home, Matoshree, is in the midst of a party after Ms. Rutuja Ramesh Latke, the party's candidate, won the Andheri East by-election with 66,530 votes. With 12,806 votes, None of the Above (NOTA) was her closest opponent. After the Shiv Sena split, the Thackeray-led party held its first election under its new emblem, Mashal (flaming torch). After Sharad Pawar, the leader of the NCP, and Raj Thackeray, the founder of the MNS, called for an uncontested election, the BJP, which had put Urjit Patel on the ballot, withdrew. However, the contest included six 

independents, making an election necessary. Although just 31% of eligible voters cast ballots on November 3, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the opposition were taken aback by the NOTA option that local voters chose.

 

They had claimed that there was an "invisible" force at work as the cause. When Ms. Latke visited Mr. Thackeray at his home, he congratulated her and expressed gratitude to the NCP, Congress, Sambhaji Brigade, and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, among other groups, for their support. Without identifying the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena under Eknath Shinde, Mr. Thackeray attacked it, saying, "They had taken away our party symbol and name citing this election, but I am delighted we won with such a wide margin." I want to express my gratitude to everyone who helped us win this election, including the Congress, NCP, Sambhaji Brigade, and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi.

 

But he said, "I am glad that the struggle has begun with a victory, and we will win in the future as well." He attacked the BJP, an old ally, and declared, "It is apparent that NOTA was used in the polls." For NOTA, there was campaigning. The BJP would have won as many votes as NOTA did if it had run in the election." In response, Ms. Latke asserted that the BJP was responsible for a large portion of the NOTA votes and noted that if the BJP had actively campaigned, it would have garnered a similar amount of votes. If the BJP truly had sympathy, it would not have run a candidate. They pulled out after realising they would lose the election.

 

 

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