Mumbai: With Shiv Sena (UBT) rebels in four out of six wards in Worli, the area considered a bastion of the party is now a challenge for it and its alliance partner MNS. Since Worli is Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray‘s constituency, winning here is a prestige issue for the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS.
As many tickets were given to members of Shiv Sena (UBT) netas’ families in Worli, slighted long-time karyakartas decided to file their nominations as independents. While Aaditya Thackeray is the sitting MLA from Worli, there are two party MLCs, Sachin Ahir and Sunil Shinde, from Worli. Political observers said there were signs that the widespread rebellion could change equations in the wards concerned and it remained to be seen whether the Shiv Sena (UBT) would succeed in retaining Worli like the undivided Shiv Sena did in the 2017 BMC election.With the campaign underway in full swing, accusations are being levelled that the party preferred netas’ families over core party workers. “There was rebellion in wards 193, 194, 196 and 197 in the Worli assembly constituency, and the rebels who entered the election refused to withdraw their nominations. They are mostly party workers and were forced to file their nominations as independents since they were denied tickets,” a political observer said.Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Sunil Shinde’s brother, Nishikant, is a candidate from Ward No. 194. Here, local party functionary Sonal (Shailaja) Pawar filed her nomination as an independent candidate in rebellion from the ward.Former Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator Ashish Chemburkar’s wife, Padmaja, is a candidate from Ward No. 196 (Worli). Here, Shiv Sena (UBT) functionary Sangeeta Jagtap entered the fray as an independent, challenging Chemburkar.The Shiv Sena (UBT) fielded former deputy mayor Hemangi Worlikar from Ward No. 193 in Worli Koliwada. Angered by this, Suryakant Koli, a local shakha pramukh, rebelled and filed his nomination as an independent.In Ward No. 197, MNS’s Rachna Salvi was fielded by the alliance. Here, Shrawani Desai, wife of former corporator Parashuram Desai, filed her nomination as an independent.“The battle for Worli is a real test for the Sena (UBT)-MNS combine, but more so for the Sena (UBT) since it is its bastion and also Aaditya’s constituency. In the 2024 assembly polls, the MNS was also in the fray against Sena (UBT), but this time it is with Sena (UBT), so there can be a consolidation of votes. However, it will all depend on how many votes the rebels can pull,” a political observer said.In the 2019 assembly polls, making his political debut, Aaditya, who was the first member from the Thackeray family to contest an election, defeated his NCP rival Suresh Mane by a margin of over 70,000 votes. However, in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Arvind Sawant got a lead of only 6,715 votes from the Worli assembly constituency.In the 2024 assembly polls, Aaditya managed to win his Worli assembly constituency by a margin of just 8,801 votes against the Shiv Sena’s Milind Deora.
