Amit Thackeray's Candidacy: Will Uddhav return the favour?

While Raj is known for his oratory and fiery speeches, Amit is soft-spoken and relatively gentle in his behaviour.

It could be a case of déjà vu for political observers of Maharashtra to compare the personality of Amit Thackeray with that of his father, Raj Thackeray. While Raj is known for his oratory and fiery speeches, Amit is soft-spoken and relatively gentle in his behaviour.

A similar example was witnessed 21 years ago when Uddhav Thackeray inherited the mantle of the Shiv Sena from his father, Bal Thackeray, who was known for his aggression and expletive-laden speeches. Although not officially announced, Amit Thackeray is seen as the successor to his father’s political legacy and a future chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). Although he started making public appearances with his father ten years ago in 2014 and subsequently became an office bearer of the party, he has not yet taken the plunge into electoral politics.

On October 22, Amit Thackeray’s name appeared in the second list of MNS candidates. Why in the second list and not the first? The answer is that a lot of caution has been exercised in choosing a seat for Amit’s electoral debut. Before announcing Amit’s name as a candidate, several constituencies were considered, ranging from Ghatkopar to Bhandup and Vikhroli, where the party has a significant presence. There is no such thing as a “safe seat” for the MNS. The party’s performance has been dismal in the last two elections, with it winning no more than one seat in 2014 and 2019, and each time in different constituencies. After a thorough ground study, the Mahim seat was finalised for him.

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The Mahim assembly constituency has been a bastion of the Shiv Sena since the 1990s. Shiv Sena Bhavan, the party’s headquarters in Dadar, is part of this constituency. However, in 2009, the seat was won by MNS candidate Nitin Sardesai. Observing MNS's victory in Mahim, some political analysts wrote off Shiv Sena and hailed the MNS as the new Shiv Sena. Indeed, the Shiv Sena faced an existential crisis that year. Although the MNS was able to win only 13 seats, it led to the defeat of Shiv Sena candidates in several other constituencies due to the division of the Marathi vote. In the following election, the Shiv Sena reclaimed the Mahim seat, with Sada Sarwankar being elected as the MLA. Raj Thackeray's residence, "Shivteerth," and his party headquarters also fall within the Mahim constituency.

As a candidate from Mahim, Amit Thackeray will have to compete with Sarwankar, who has once again been nominated by the Shiv Sena. It remains to be seen whether Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena will field a candidate against Amit. In 2019, Raj Thackeray did not field any candidate in the Worli seat to help Aditya Thackeray, his nephew, win in his debut run. Aditya visited Raj before his nomination to seek blessings, which Raj obliged. It is unclear whether Uddhav Thackeray will return the favor. This time, Raj Thackeray has fielded his confidant, Sandeep Deshpande, from the Worli seat.