Mumbai elections: 7 assembly seats bracing for fireworks in Maharashtra polls

(L-R) Amit Thackeray, Nawab Malik, Aaditya Thackeray, Rahul Narvekar and Zeeshan Siddique

Mumbai has a total of 36 assembly constituencies, with many stalwarts from major political parties contesting. However, certain seats are particularly interesting due to local political dynamics and clashes between key figures. Here’s a look at seven such seats:

Colaba

The sitting MLA of the high-profile Colaba seat is Rahul Narvekar, who is also the Speaker of the Maharashtra assembly. He began his political career with the Shiv Sena and joined the BJP in 2019 after a short stint elsewhere. Narvekar faced scrutiny recently for his decisions regarding the "real" Shiv Sena and NCP factions following party splits, with opposition parties accusing him of partisanship despite his constitutional role. Although the BJP has renominated him, there is some discord within the party, as Raj Purohit, a previous representative, also sought the ticket. Narvekar’s primary opponent is Heera Dewasi from Congress, nominated to appeal to the Marwari voter base in the constituency.

The Colaba constituency has a significant non-Marathi population, with most voters belonging to the elite and middle classes, along with a few slum areas in Cuffe Parade.

Mumbadevi

This seat is currently held by Congress MLA Amin Patel, with a majority of middle- and lower-middle-class Muslim voters. The race has become interesting due to Shiv Sena’s candidate, fashion designer-turned-politician Shaina NC, who is a BJP member but is contesting on a Shiv Sena ticket as part of the alliance’s seat-sharing arrangement. Her candidacy has upset some local BJP workers, and Atul Shah, a BJP leader, has entered the race as an independent.

Worli

The big question here is whether Aaditya Thackeray, son of Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray, can repeat his victory. Unlike 2019, this election isn’t an easy one for Aaditya. Raj Thackeray’s MNS party has nominated its firebrand leader Sandeep Deshpande this time, whereas in the last election, MNS did not field a candidate against Aaditya. Aaditya also faces Milind Deora, a Shiv Sena MP in the Rajya Sabha, who has been assigned to challenge him.

Mahim

The Mahim seat has become contentious within the Mahayuti alliance due to Raj Thackeray’s son, Amit Thackeray, entering the race. This seat was allocated to the Shiv Sena, which has fielded Sada Sarwankar. However, the BJP prefers Sarwankar withdraw to support Amit in his debut election, as Raj Thackeray had supported the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections. Sarwankar has refused to step down, setting the stage for a three-way contest between the Shiv Sena, BJP, and Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Mahesh Sawant..

Bandra East

Once a Shiv Sena stronghold, this seat was won by Congress candidate Zeeshan Siddique in 2019. Zeeshan, son of the late politician Baba Siddique, has now switched to the NCP, which is part of the Mahayuti alliance. Shiv Sena (UBT) has fielded Varun Sardesai, the Yuva Sena secretary, against him. The seat has a sizable Muslim voter base, and it remains to be seen if Zeeshan will gain sympathy votes or lose support due to his alliance switch.

Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar

Abu Azmi, the Maharashtra chief of the Samajwadi Party, has held this seat since 2009. With a majority Muslim voter base, this constituency will witness a heavyweight contest as NCP leader Nawab Malik has also filed his nomination here. The BJP opposed Malik’s nomination over alleged links with Dawood Ibrahim’s associates and has refrained from campaigning for him. Despite pressure to withdraw, Malik has remained firm.

Anushakti Nagar

This seat is notable for two reasons: actress Swara Bhasker’s husband Fahad Ahmed is contesting from the NCP (SP) ticket, and Nawab Malik’s daughter is also running. This sets up a clash between two NCP factions. The constituency has a substantial Muslim voter base, and Malik himself represented Anushakti Nagar in 2009 and 2019.