Looks like the Shiv Sena is ready for an electoral face-off with embittered ally Bharatiya Janata Party. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party has decided to challenge the BJP by fielding as its candidate the son of BJP MP Chintaman Vanaga, whose death in January necessitated the Palghar Lok Sabha bypoll.

The move is bound to have repercussions on the legislative council polls for six seats which are due on May 21.

After the Sena fielded Shrinivas Vanaga, the BJP has announced the candidature of former Congress minister Rajendra Gavit from the seat. He would file his nomination papers on Thursday.

The Congress has decided to field five-time MP Damu Shingada. Baujan Vikas Aghadi's Baliram Jadhav, and CPM candidate Kiran Raja Gahala field their nomination papers on Wednesday.

It is likely that the by-election would be multi-corner if no candidate withdraws nomination.

Now that the Sena has decided to spoil the BJP's chances in Palghar, its own prospects in the legislative council elections are bound to have an impact. It would be difficult for the Sena to fight in Nashik and Konkan seats without BJP votes. It is likely that it would face a major drubbing in the two seats, while in the Hingoli-Parbhani seat, which the Sena is also contesting, the Congress has upper hand.

Voters in the legislative council polls would be local body representatives from Raigad-Sindhudurg-Ratnagiri, Nashik, Hingoli-Parbhani, Latur-Beed-Osmanabad, Amravati, Chandrapur-Wardha-Gadchiroli constituencies.

A BJP leader said on the condition of anonymity that the Sena has a clear agenda in Palghar, which can have national ramifications. "The Sena has got nothing to lose, whether it is Palghar or the legislative council elections. It just wants to embarrass the BJP. That's why Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and state unit chief

Raosaheb Danve have made Palghar a prestige point, and have directed the party workers to retain the seat, come what may."