The Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday released its first list of 17 candidates for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials served a notice to one of the candidates in a case related to distribution of food during the Covid-19 pandemic, also referred to as the 'khichdi (rice dish) scam.'
Amol Kirtikar , who will contest from Mumbai North West, a seat previously held by his father Gajanan Kirtikar, had ED officials knocking on his door shortly after his candidature was announced.
The ED is investigating financial fraud in a Rs 132 crore food distribution programme launched during the pandemic in which contractors hired by the Mumbai municipal corporation to distribute khichdi to the poor and migrant labour had allegedly submitted inflated bills to the corporation. The agency had recently filed a chargesheet against Suraj Chavan, Shiv Sena UBT secretary. ED's notice to Kirtikar raises questions about his involvement.
The list, released by party leader Sanjay Raut, included incumbent MPs Arvind Sawant from Mumbai south and Sanjay Patil from Mumbai northeast. Omraje Nimbalkar and Sanjay Jadhav have been nominated again from Parbhani and Osmanabad, respectively.
Anil Desai's nomination had been earlier announced from South Central Mumbai.
In what’s bound to cause some rumblings within the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi or MVA, which forms an alliance with the Congress and the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), Shiv Sena (UBT) nominated Chandrahar Patil, a wrestler from Sangli – a seat the Congress had its eye on.
Other candidates include Vinayak Raut from Ratnagiri Sindhudurg and Rajan Vichare from Thane. Nagesh Patil Ashtikar will contest from Hingoli, Sanjay Deshmukh from Yavatmal Washim, Chandrakant Khaire from Chhatrpati Sambhajinagar and Rajbhau Waje from Nashik.
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