Lok Sabha polls: Jalgaon MP Unmesh Patil joins Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 3 : Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, sitting BJP MP from Jalgaon, Unmesh Patil, joined the Uddhav Bal Thackeray (UBT) on Wednesday after being denied the ticket from the seat.
Jalgaon MP Unmesh Patil joined the UBT in Matoshree, the residence of Uddhav Thackeray, in the presence of the party chief, Sanjay Raut and other senior party leaders.
The BJP has fielded Smita Wagh, a former Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) and former Maharashtra BJP's women's wing chief from Jalgaon.
The UBT Sena is fighting the Maharashtra polls in alliance with the Congress and the NCP (Sharad Pawar).
Earlier in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Patil had won the elections against NCP leader Gulabrao Deokar.
Maharashtra, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the Lower House of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 23 out of 25 contested seats, while the undivided Shiv Sena secured 18 out of 23 seats.
Elections to the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra will be held in five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20.
The election for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases starting April 19. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.