The MLA from Bandra East is contesting as an independent, against Sena candidate, Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar
Trupti Sawant said that some local Sena workers were unhappy with the party's decision of refusing her a ticket and have been helping her
Sitting MLA Trupti Sawant's decision to contest as an independent candidate, after being denied a ticket by the Shiv Sena for the Bandra East constituency, doesn't seem to have gone down well with some. Sawant has alleged that party workers campaigning for Sena candidate, Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, have been threatening her supporters for helping out in her campaign.
Sawant said that some local Sena workers were unhappy with the party's decision of refusing her a ticket and have been helping her. "The Sena workers who have been helping me have received threatening phone calls and are being discouraged from supporting me. They are helping me because they believe in the work that my husband has done in this area and I am confident that I will win again," said Sawant.
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Sawant was married to the late Bala Sawant, who was a two-term MLA, a Sena loyalist. After his death in 2015, she contested in the by-elections and defeated former Congress leader Narayan Rane. Sawant is the only independent candidate in the city who is a sitting MLA.
Instead of the bow and arrow, Sawant can now be seen promoting a bat as her new symbol, during her rallies. Deeply hurt by the Sena's move, Sawant claimed that she had played a key role during the civic elections in 2017 to help Mahadeshwar win. "He won the elections because people identified with Bala Sawant's name. The party has now chosen Mahadeshwar as the candidate and sidelined the sitting MLA, which is unfair," she said.
Mahadeshwar refuted Sawant's allegations and said, "The party workers are not threatening anyone. I have worked with the Shiv Sena for the past 38 years and our party leaders gave me a ticket to contest from the ward. Our workers are only focussed on our campaigning activities."
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