Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray’s eldest son Aaditya Thackeray is set to contest next month’s Maharashtra Assembly elections from Worli in South Mumbai, PTI reported on Sunday. He will be the first member of the Thackeray family to fight an election. Aaditya Thackeray is the president of Yuva Sena, the party’s youth wing, at present.

Though there was no official announcement, Uddhav Thackeray handed over the AB form – denoting official party candidature – to Aaditya Thackeray, and 19 other candidates, Hindustan Times reported. There are no differences with the Bharatiya Janata Party over these seats. The two parties have not yet agreed to a seat-sharing arrangement.

“Aaditya Thackeray’s name has been finalised for the Worli assembly segment,” an unidentified close aide of Uddhav Thackeray told PTI. “Shiv Sena’s sitting MLA Sunil Shinde will vacate his place for Aaditya.”

The party official pointed out that Worli was considered one of the Sena’s safest constituencies. “Former NCP leader Sachin Ahir had recently joined the Sena, which will make Thackeray’s win easy,” he added.

On Saturday, Uddhav Thackeray had said he had promised his late father Balasaheb Thackeray that one day Maharashtra would have a chief minister from the Shiv Sena.

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