After its push for Raj’s son, BJP shifts support to Sena’s Sarvankar

Mumbai: After initially pushing to support MNS candidate Amit Thackeray in the high-profile Mahim seat, the BJP fell in line and threw its weight behind sitting MLA Sada Sarvankar from the Shiv Sena, who refused to withdraw from the race. Now, BJP workers can be seen in Sarvankar's campaign meetings, with their flags.
"The BJP is now with me in a big way as the Mahayuti candidate.Initially, Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar was backing MNS chief Raj Thackeray's son because they are very close. But once I did not withdraw, they had to follow the Mahayuti dharma," Sarvankar told TOI.
The constituency is seeing a high-stakes clash between the three Senas in Mahim, the Shiv Sena heartland. Three-term MLA Sarvankar has been fielded by the Shiv Sena led by chief minister Eknath Shinde. Uddhav Thackeray's party Shiv Sena (UBT) has fielded Mahesh Sawant. This is also the electoral debut of Amit Thackeray of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.
Initially, both Shelar and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis pushed for Sarvankar's withdrawal in favour of Amit Thackeray, pointing out that MNS had supported Mahayuti in the Lok Sabha polls.
But CM Eknath Shinde backed Sarvankar and left the decision to him. After Sarvankar refused to withdraw from the race, Shelar announced the party's support for his candidature.
Meanwhile, Sarvankar is well aware that the withdrawal drama may generate sympathy for him among voters. "I was under pressure to withdraw from the race. My voters have not liked this," he said.
He reiterated that although he went to meet Raj Thackeray on the last day of the withdrawal of nominations, he did not grant him an audience. "It would have been good if he met me because I have been elected as a corporator three times and an MLA thrice. But I am a small man," he said. He claimed that Shinde sent him.
Meanwhile, Amit Thackeray hit back while talking to media channels. "Who is putting pressure on him? The time for this kind of talk has passed. The time for withdrawal is over, so he should just contest," he said.