Mumbai, February 15 Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde challenged BJP minister Ganesh Naik to contest against him in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, further intensifying the long-standing rivalry between the two political families.
Shinde, the son of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and a three-time MP from Kalyan, also stated that Naik suffers from dementia and age-related health issues.
This statement came a day after Naik had stated that he would permanently defeat Shrikant Shinde in the upcoming election.
In response, Shinde said that Naik has three "former" MPs residing in his house, referring to Naik's sons – former MP Sanjiv Naik and former MLA Sanjeev Naik, as well as Ganesh Naik himself.
"This is a direct challenge. You or your son can contest from Thane or Kalyan. I, Shrikant Shinde, will be standing against you," said the Kalyan MP.
Thane and Kalyan are strongholds of Eknath Shinde, while Navi Mumbai is the stronghold of Ganesh Naik, having controlled the local body for over the last two and a half decades. Shinde and Naik are long-time rivals.
Naik was once the guardian minister of the undivided Thane district. He is currently the guardian minister of Palghar district, which was carved out of Thane and is also within the influence of Shinde.
In the local body elections, although the Shiv Sena and the BJP contested as allies in several local bodies, the rivalry was evident on the ground. In some local bodies, they competed as fierce rivals despite being part of the Mahayuti government.