MUMBAI: Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, who is fighting a cold war against the BJP, and trying to expand party’s base in Maharashtra to counter his Mahayuti ally, on Monday nominated Saeed Khan, chief of the party’s minority cell, from the Parbhani-Hingoli constituency for the legislative council polls. Parbhani-Hingoli has a significant Muslim population.Shinde makes calculated choice in candidate pick for Parbhani-HingoliThe NCP led by deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar is the single largest party in Parbhani-Hingoli with 131 seats. Shinde has only 77 seats but nevertheless succeeded in wresting the seat for his party. Significantly, the Shiv Sena has become the only party in the Mahayuti to field a Muslim candidate in the council elections.Shinde’s choice of Saeed Khan is rooted not only in his desire to outmanoeuvre the BJP but also to attract the Muslim votes that went to the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) in the recent local body elections. Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray had received a good response from Muslim voters, as he continued his alliance with the Congress and NCP (SP) against the BJP. Notably, Khan is also a close aide of Shinde’s son and Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde.On the other hand, Shinde has renominated existing legislators Ravindra Phatak and Narendra Darade in Thane and Nashik respectively. In Yavatmal, the party has fielded Dushyant Chaturvedi and also submitted an extra nomination of Sheetal Rathod, wife of minister Sanjay Rathod, in case there is any objection to Chaturvedi’s application.