As the High Court decided in favour of Thackeray Sena’s Rutuja Latke on Thursday and asked the BMC to relieve her of her duties by 11 am on Friday, the BJP and Shinde Sena were forced to strategise their next move. They were supposed to meet on Thursday night to decide whether to go ahead with BJP’s candidate-in-waiting Murji Patel as either BJP’s or Shinde Sena’s nominee or go for any other surprise move. Friday, October 14, is the last date for filing nomination for the Andheri East bypoll.

The other option that was supposedly suggested by the Thackeray Sena was to let Latke win unopposed—let her be alone in the fray and avoid any further clashes. Apparently, sources said, the Thackeray Sena tried to play a mindgame in conveying after the HC decision that it had landed in a better position to snatch a win for the deceased MLA’s widow against the BJP, if it put its candidate instead of Shinde Sena.