Maharashtra assembly elections 2024: After denial of ticket, Shiv Sena's Palghar MLA Shrinivas Vanga untraceable

Shrinivas Vanga. Pic/X

Shiv Sena's sitting MLA from Palghar, Shrinivas Vanga, who was upset after being denied a ticket by his party for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections 2024, has been untraceable, as per his family members, reported news agency PTI.

Vanga's family has so far not filed any police complaint.

A senior police official from Palghar on Wednesday morning said there was no update on Vanga's whereabouts as of now, reported PTI.

The legislator has apparently been incommunicado since Monday evening.

His family members searched for him but in vain. They had expressed concern over his state of mind, reported PTI.

Upset over being denied a ticket by the Shiv Sena, Vanga told reporters on Monday that he committed a "grave mistake" by siding with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and joining his party, reported PTI.

Videos of Vanga's emotional responses have since gone viral on social media and news channels, reported PTI.

Srinivas Vanga, the son of late BJP MP Chintaman Vanga, became an MLA after winning the 2019 assembly elections as a candidate of undivided Shiv Sena from the Palghar (Scheduled Tribes) seat.

After a split in the Shiv Sena, Shrinivas Vanga supported Shinde. He was hoping to get renominated from the seat by the party.

However, the Sena nominated former MP Rajendra Gavit, who also sided with Shinde when he rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray's leadership in June 2022.

Shrinivas Vanga had also described Shinde's rival and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray as a "dev manus" (God-like man), reported PTI.

Before he went missing, his family members expressed concern over his present state of mind and said he had not only stopped interacting with them and having food, but was also crying and threatening to harm his own life, reported PTI.

After learning about the situation, CM Shinde had reportedly contacted Vanga's wife, assuring that her husband would be considered for a role as a member of the state legislative council, reported PTI.

The Maharashtra assembly elections 2024 to the 288-member assembly will be held on November 20 and votes will be counted on November 23.

As many as 7,995 candidates have filed 10,905 nominations with the Election Commission (EC) for the polls, a statement issued by the office of the state's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said on Tuesday.

Filing of nominations by candidates began on October 22 and the process ended on Tuesday.

The verification and scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on Wednesday and the last date for withdrawal of candidatures is November 4 (till 3 pm).

In 2019, a total of 5,543 nominations were received by the EC throughout the state and 3,239 candidates finally contested the assembly polls that year.

(With inputs from PTI)