The Maharashtra Assembly election will serve as a critical test for Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's faction of the Shiv Sena after splitting from Uddhav Thackeray's leadership and claiming the Shiv Sena title.
The stakes are particularly high in Mumbai’s 36-seat Metropolitan Region and the Thane-Konkan belt, where the undivided Shiv Sena previously enjoyed significant influence. These regions will be battlegrounds, holding 75 out of the total 288 Assembly seats.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance has partnered with Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction and is set to contest 34 seats in Mumbai, with the BJP taking 18 and Shinde's faction 16, leaving two seats to Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi has its sights set on reestablishing control over its traditional strongholds in the region, with Thackeray's faction running on 22 seats and Congress on 11. The NCP (Sharad Pawar) will field candidates for two seats, with one additional seat allocated to the Samajwadi Party.
As a further wildcard, Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has fielded 25 candidates in Mumbai, threatening to divide Marathi votes between both alliances.
In 2019, the BJP and undivided Shiv Sena had won 56 of the 75 seats in Thane and Konkan, propelling the NDA to 161 seats statewide. This time, however, the divided Shiv Sena factions and the NCP splits have set the stage for an intense, closely watched race that will ultimately test public perception, and determine the true claimant to the Shiv Sena legacy.
Kopri Pachpakhadi: Eknath Shinde Vs Kedar Dighe
Eknath Shinde (Photo Source: Eknath Shinde/X)
Eknath Shinde (Photo Source: Eknath Shinde/X)
It's a high-stakes legacy clash in Thane! Shinde is set to contest from the Thane's Kopri-Pachpakhadi seat, going head-to-head with Kedar Dighe, nephew of Shinde's late mentor and Shiv Sena stalwart Anand Dighe.
Both aim to lay claim to Anand Dighe's powerful legacy in this fiercely contested constituency.
Worli: Aditya Thackeray Vs Milind Deora
Aaditya Thackeray (Aaditya Thackeray/ X profile)
Aaditya Thackeray (Aaditya Thackeray/ X profile)
It’s a three-way battle in Worli! Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Aaditya Thackeray, running for a second term, faces off against uncle Raj Thackeray's MNS candidate Sandip Deshpande and Shinde Sena's pick, Milind Deora.
Aaditya Thackeray banks on projects like the Worli-Sewri link and his pandemic work, while Deora brings deep-rooted family ties to the seat.
In the 2019 elections, Aaditya Thackeray won the seat with a margin of 89,248 votes.
Also Read: Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Statewide Holiday On Voting Day—What's Open, What's Closed
Bandra East: Zeeshan Siddique Vs Varun Sardesai Vs Trupti Sawant
Zeeshan Siddique (Photo Source: X profile)
Zeeshan Siddique (Photo Source: X profile)
Bandra East is set for a heated quadrangular face-off! Incumbent Zeeshan Siddique of the NCP takes on Uddhav Thackeray's nephew Varun Sardesai from Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS' Trupti Sawant. The fight is even more interesting as Kunal Sarmalkar, office bearer of Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), is contesting as an independent candidate.
Siddique aims to defend his 2019 win, while Sardesai banks on the Thackeray legacy and traditional Shiv Sena support.
Also Read: BJP's Maharashtra Election Manifesto Promises Rs 2,100 Under Ladki Bahin Yojana, 1 Lakh Jobs, AI Hub
Mankhurd-Shivajinagar: Nawab Malik Vs Shivaji Patil Vs Abu Azmi
Nawab Malik (Photo Source: Nawab Malik/ X profile)
Nawab Malik (Photo Source: Nawab Malik/ X profile)
It’s a complex clash in Maharashtra the as Mahayuti faces an internal rift! NCP's Nawab Malik is up against Shiv Sena's Shivaji 'Bullet' Patil, despite the BJP and Shiv Sena withholding support due to Malik's money-laundering probe linked to Dawood Ibrahim.
The MVA joins the fray with Samajwadi Party's Abu Azmi, turning it into a high-stakes triangular battle.
Mahim: Amit Thackeray Vs Sada Sarvankar Vs Mahesh Sawant
Amit Thackeray (Photo Source: MNS/ X profile)
Amit Thackeray (Photo Source: MNS/ X profile)
Mahim is set for a fierce, legacy-laden showdown, as MNS leader Raj Thackeray's son Amit Thackeray makes his electoral debut, facing off against Shiv Sena MLA Sada Sarvankar and Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Mahesh Sawant.
With the iconic Shiv Sena Bhavan and Shivaji Park at its heart, Mahim becomes ground zero in the battle for Shiv Sena's legacy.
Borivali: Sanjay Upadhyay Vs Sanjay Bhosale Vs Gopal Shetty
It's a three-way battle in the making! BJP’s Sanjay Upadhyay faces off against Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Sanjay Bhosale, but the contest gets even spicier with the entry of Gopal Shetty as an independent.
A seven-time MLA, former BMC corporator and two-term MP from Mumbai North, Shetty's return makes this seat one to watch.
Mumbadevi: Shaina NC Vs Amin Patel
Shaina NC (Photo Source: Shaina NC/ X profile)
Shaina NC (Photo Source: Shaina NC/ X profile)
Mumbadevi is shaping up to be a fascinating showdown! Incumbent Congress MLA Amin Patel, a veteran with deep local ties and in his third term, faces off against fashion designer-turned-politician Shaina NC, who recently switched from the BJP to the Shiv Sena.
Kalyan West: Vishwanath Bhoir Vs Sachin Basare Vs Narendra Pawar Vs Varun Patil
Shiv Sena's Vishwanath Bhoir faces off against Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Sachin Basare in a showdown that's already generating buzz.
But that's not all — two BJP leaders, former MLA Narendra Pawar and Kalyan city president Varun Patil have entered the race as independents, making it a fierce four-way battle.
Sewri: Ajay Choudhary Vs Bala Nandgaonkar
Sewri is witnessing some intense infighting within Shiv Sena (UBT)! Incumbent MLA Ajay Choudhary and party loyalist Sudhir Salvi both fought for the candidacy, but Choudhary emerged victorious as the party's choice.
Senior MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar is seeking support from the Mahayuti alliance, adding to the drama. To complicate matters, Nana Ambole, a Shiv Sena leader, has filed his nomination, defying the party line and turning this contest into a fierce multi-side battle.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Maharashtra Elections 2024: Husband Vs Wife, Uncle Vs Nephew Contests Emerge As Families Battle Their Own
Nov 10, 2024
Breaking The Ice: How Maharashtra's Post-Poll Politics May Reshape Alliances
Nov 06, 2024
Maharashtra Elections: Smaller Maha Vikas Aghadi Allies Miffed As Seat Allocation Delay Drags
Oct 23, 2024
Maharashtra Elections 2024: With 75 Seats, Konkan Belt Crucial To Tilting Power Scales
Oct 16, 2024
POPULAR