Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray.
| Photo Credit: Vivek Bendre
Earlier this year, in April, while addressing Gudi Padwa rally in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Chief, Raj Thackeray had made it clear to his supporters that his party was not eyeing to contest Lok Sabha 2024 but was preparing for the Maharashtra Assembly elections due later this year. In a strong move towards his long-term goal, MNS is likely to field its leader Sandeep Deshpande against the sitting MLA and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray.
MNS Chief, Mr. Thackeray, who announced to extend his ‘unconditional’ support to Mahayuti coalition — Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena, and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in the Lok Sabha elections 2024, had recently announced that his party will go solo and would not join hands with any alliance in the State. MNS is filing over 250 candidates in the upcoming assembly election.
“Mr. Deshpande who has been actively campaigning since June, noting down the concerns of the residents to address them, is most likely to remain the face of the party in Worli against Aaditya Thackeray. However, the final announcement will be made by MNS Cheif, Raj Thackeray,” a source from the party confirmed to The Hindu.
The Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency, Worli is a hub of several business, along with the costliest properties and several tenements (chawls) in dilapidated condition. Mr. Deshpande said, “People living in these dilapidated chawls are awaiting redevelopment. These are Bombay Development Department [BDD] chawls and police colonies. There are slum rehabilitation projects on hold, several redeveloped buildings are yet to provide monthly rentals to residents. The local MLA, Aaditya Thackeray has not visited the residents in the last five years and is not easily accessible to people. People need an MLA who is accessible for them. Solving the residential crisis in one of the richest locations of Mumbai is going to be our core agenda in the election as people are suffering with basic living spaces and structures that are extremely unsafe to live in,” Mr. Deshpande said.
Sources said that after the Shiv Sena (UBT) fell to less than 7,000 votes in the Worli during the recently held Lok Sabha polls, it is a great opportunity for the MNS to pave their way. “Despite the Shiv Sena (UBT) victory, the Worli seat saw a significant drop in lead during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, with party candidate Arvind Sawant leading by just 6,715 votes, the lowest in four of the six assembly constituencies under Mumbai South where he dominated his Shiv Sena challenger. This is a great opportunity for the MNS,” a source from MNS said.
“In 2017 municipal corporation polls, MNS scored around 30,000 to 33,000 votes from Worli. This is a good reminder that we have dedicated to MNS in this constituency,” Mr. Deshpande said.
