The Mahayuti coalition comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP has reportedly resolved their differences in Maharashtra, paving the way for a unified front in the upcoming elections.

According to a report from ANI, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena will field a candidate for the Thane Lok Sabha seat, a decision endorsed by the BJP leadership on Tuesday, with an official announcement anticipated shortly.

Sources indicate that the candidate's potential to secure a victory was a crucial factor in the Sena being granted the Thane seat. This constituency encompasses six assembly segments, namely Mira Bhayandar, Kopri-Pachpakhadi, Ovala-Majiwada, Thane, Airoli, and Belapur.

The alliance believes that given the Marathi-majority demographic in Thane, the Sena stands a good chance of winning decisively. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's political stronghold in the area, particularly in Kopri-Pachpakhadi where he serves as an MLA, adds weight to this strategy, having inherited influence from his late mentor Anant Dighe.

Moreover, the Shiv Sena currently holds the Ovala-Majiwada assembly seat, while Eknath Shinde's son, Shrikant Shinde, represents the neighbouring Kalyan constituency. The remaining four assembly constituencies within Thane Lok Sabha are under BJP's control.

The official candidate announcement is slated for Wednesday, with the BJP's central leadership advising the state leadership to manage potential contenders for the Thane seat. Speculation had earlier swirled around incumbent Thane BJP MLA Sanjay Kelkar as a possible contender.

Within the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Ovala MLA Pratap Sarnaik and party spokesperson Naresh Mhaske are considered frontrunners for the candidature. The current Thane MP, Rajan Vichare of UBT Shiv Sena, has also been actively campaigning for re-election, despite facing anti-incumbency sentiments and losing support to Eknath Shinde's faction in recent weeks.

In the previous 2019 elections, Rajan Vichare secured victory under the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance, garnering 740,969 votes, with a significant margin of 412,145 votes over the runner-up from NCP, Anand Paranjpe.

Thane Lok Sabha is scheduled for polling on May 20 during Phase 5 of the elections, with results slated for June 4. Maharashtra, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, the second-largest in the country after Uttar Pradesh, is witnessing a keenly contested electoral battle, with elections spread across five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20.