Rajan Teli, a BJP leader from Maharashtra's coastal Sindhudurg district, has resigned from the party's primary membership and joined the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT). Previously serving as the BJP in-charge of the Sawantwadi assembly segment, Teli is expected to challenge Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar, who is affiliated with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena.
Teli, who was among the leaders from the undivided Shiv Sena that left the party alongside Narayan Rane, expressed his opposition to granting Lok Sabha and assembly tickets to members of a single family. This statement comes amid reports suggesting that Rane's son, Nilesh, is likely to switch to the Shinde-led Shiv Sena to contest in the upcoming November 20 assembly polls.
Teli highlighted that Rane's younger son, Nitesh, currently serves as the MLA from Kankavali in Sindhudurg district and is expected to be renominated, while Nilesh is anticipated to run for a seat held by the Shiv Sena. Notably, the Konkan belt of the state comprises 75 of the 288 assembly seats, including 36 located in Mumbai.