Mumbai: For the first time in the political history of Maharashtra, a scion of the Thackeray family will contest the election. Aaditya Thackeray, the Yuva Sena chief and son of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, will file his nomination from the Worli Assembly constituency on October 3.
The decision by the Thackeray family is seen as a positive departure from the tradition of not contesting any election. Going by the local equations and strong base of the Shiv Sena, it is expected that the Thackeray dynast, Aaditya, will win the seat with a thumping majority.
No matter who will be the opponent, but an interesting fight is on the cards, as Aaditya will be the strong contender. It is being said that the Shiv Sena will demand the Deputy Chief Minister’s post from its ally BJP to which the saffron partner has agreed, if the Thackeray Junior is being nominated for the post.
Although the Shiv Sena is yet to officially release a list or announce the name of Aaditya Thackeray as its candidate for Worli, it is almost certain he will contest from Worli.
Kishori Pednekar, a corporator from the constituency and senior Sena leader tweeted, congratulating Aaditya for being nominated for Worli. She also appealled to the people to vote for Aaditya in large numbers.
When Sachin Ahir, the then Mumbai Nationalist Congress Party president joined the Shiv Sena in July this year, the party dropped a clear hint that Aaditya would contest from Worli. By poaching Ahir, Aaditya ensured that there will be no strong opposition to challenge him on the seat.
Aaditya is likely to file his nomination on October 3 with a huge show of strenghth.
Shiv Sena bastion
The worli assembly constituency is well-known as a bastion of the Shiv Sena. The constituency is spread across Haji Ali Dargah, Worli Naka, Phoenix Mall, Lower Parel West, Kamgar Nagar, Sidharth Nagar and Koliwada. From 1990 to 2004, Shiv Sena’s Dattaji Nalawade won the seat for four times.
Nalawade also worked as a Speaker of the Assembly. In 2009, NCP’s Mumbai president Sachin Ahir won the seat for the first time by a margin of just 5,000 votes. He trounced Ashish Chemburkar of Sena.
But in 2014, despite contesting the election independently, the Sena wrested the seat back from the NCP. Sena’s Sunil Shinde defeated Ahir by 23,000 votes even though BJP’s Sunil Rane garnered more than 30,000 votes. As party’s topmost leader is contesting the election, the sitting legislator Sunil Shinde have been denied a ticket from Worli.
