In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Sena MLA Abdul Sattar said they will support the Maha Vikas Aghadi candidate. (Photo: X/Abdul Sattar)Signalling a friction within the ruling Mahayuti, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena leaders said they will not support BJP candidates in Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar seats for the October 23 Maharashtra Council polls.In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Sena MLA Abdul Sattar said they will support the Maha Vikas Aghadi candidate.In Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar graduates constituency, the NCP has fielded Satish Chavan as the joint Mahayuti candidate. In Pune teacher’s constituency, the Sena said they have decided to support independent candidate Chandrakant Sanap and not BJP candidate Kaustubh Gawade.“The Shiv Sena unit in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar has decided to support the candidate of NCP (SP). This is because the NCP candidate Satish Chavan had worked against our party when we elected him the last time,” Sattar told reporters in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.Similarly, Sena leader Ravindra Dhangekar told The Indian Express, “We are supporting independent candidate Sachin Sanap in Pune teacher’s constituency and not BJP candidate Kaustubh Gawade. This is as per our party’s decision.”Shinde Sena had first announced that it was withdrawing its support for NCP candidate Satish Chavan in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. However, just the next day on Saturday, Guardian Minister Sanjay Shirsat, a senior Sena leader, held a press conference and announced support for the Mahayuti candidate.But Sena MLA Abdul Sattar said they will not support Mahayuti candidate. To this, Shirsat said Eknath Shinde will give appropriate instructions and directions to Abdul Sattar, and the issue should be resolved.Story continues below this ad“According to the order given to me by Eknath Shinde saheb, I had withdrawn support for Satish Chavan in the graduates’ election. After that, discussions took place between Sunetra Pawar, Eknath Shinde and BJP’s Chandrashekhar Bawankule. After these developments, Eknath Shinde gave me a fresh order that we support Satish Chavan. Yesterday, we announced our support for Satish Chavan. Perhaps all these things were not known to Abdul Sattar, or they hadn’t reached him. On this, Eknath Shinde saheb will give appropriate directions and instructions to Abdul Sattar, and after that, this matter should be settled,” Shirsat said.Meanwhile, in Pune teacher’s constituency seat, the BJP versus Sena battle seems to be hotting up with Dhangekar declaring that “only a teacher will become the MLC for teachers”.The Sena had first fielded Mangesh Chivate but the party asked him to withdraw from the fray following pressure from the BJP. However, now the Sena Pune unit is backing independent candidate Sachin Sanap, who is a former personal secretary to Industry Ministry Uday Samant, a Sena leader.Sachin Sanap said, “Sena chief Eknath Shinde has two days ago openly announced support to me. One of the BJP leaders is unnecessarily saying something else. He should not mislead the voters.”Story continues below this ad“With Shiv Sena’s political backing, the ground has slipped from under the opponents’ feet, leading them to attempt to mislead voters,” Sanap said.Sanap said despite being such a large party, BJP could not find a teacher candidate for the teachers’ constituency election. “MLAs and ministers have descended into the field to campaign against me. Eknath Shinde knows the pulse of the voters and understands well which way the wind is blowing, which is why he showed trust in a teacher like me,” Sanap added.In the same constituency, BJP has fielded Kaustubh Gawade while the Congress has re-nominated Jayant Asgaonkar.In the Pune graduates constituency seat, Smita Jadhav, the niece of Congress MLC Satej Patil has been fielded by the BJP as Mahayuti candidate. While Harshada Deshmukh-Jadhav, daughter of former Pune Divisional Commissioner Prabhakar Deshmukh, has been fielded by NCP (SP) as Maha Vikas Aghadi. The BJP has tried to corner Satej Patil but he has remained firm on his support to MVA candidateStory continues below this adIn the Amravati Teachers’ Constituency as well, there are at least three BJP rebels against the Shiv Sena. BJP sources said the issue has been resolved in Amravati. In Nagpur, Sharad Pawar supporters are in the fray against Congress candidate.Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said,”I am sure the Shiv Sena president will take appropriate decision and the issues will be resolved..”Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis. Professional Legacy Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles. Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change. Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities. Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees. Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area: 1. Political Shifts & Alliances "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala. "BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls. "Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections. "NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections. 2. Civic & Administrative Accountability "PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions. "93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads. 3. Social & Labor Issues "As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra. "Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse. Signature Beat Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport. X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read MoreClick here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our storiesTags:Eknath Shinde