Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 | Multi-cornered contests on the cards in Mumbai Metropolitan Region

Palghar/Thane/Raigad: Fierce multi-cornered high-stake contests are being witnessed in over two dozen seats located in the Palghar-Thane-Raigad belt adjoining the financial capital of Mumbai - in which the fate of several top politicians and and political families would be decided.

Several rebels, too, are in fray in this part of the coastal Konkan belt.

The belt, comprising the three districts are part of the Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR) - which has a cosmopolitan mix of people.

One of the key issues here is infrastructure development as it forms the suburbs of Mumbai.

One of the key contests here is Kopri-Pachpakhadi, from where Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde is seeking re-election. To counter him, Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray has fielded Kedar Dighe, the nephew of Shinde’s mentor and late firebrand leader Anand Dighe.

Another interesting contest is in Mira-Bhayander, which has never reelected any candidate so far. Sitting Independent MLA Geeta Jain, who was denied ticket by the BJP, is taking on Narendra Mehta, who is close to Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Muzaffar Hussain, who is the state Congress Working President.

The Thane seat will be contested by former Thane MP and Thackeray aide Rajan Vichare and against him in BJP’s Sanjay Kelkar. Vichare was defeated in the Lok Sabha polls by Shinde aide and party spokesperson Naresh Mhaske.

The supremacy of the Naik-family would be tested in the satellite township of Navi Mumbai.

While veteran BJP’s Ganesh Naik, who is a five-time MLA, is seeking a sixth term from Airoli, he faces arch-rival Vijay Chougule, who is a from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and turned rebel and M K Madhavi from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT).

Naik’s son Sandeep Naik, a two-time MLA from Airoli, had rebelled after he was denied ticket by the BJP, and joined the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP). He has now been fielded from Belapur. He faces family political rival Manda Mhatre, the sitting BJP MLA and bureaucrat turned politician Vijay Nahata, a Shiv Sena rebel.

Similarly, the influence of the Thakur-family would be tested in the Vasai-Virar area.

In Vasai, Hitendra Thakur, popularly known as Appa, faces Vijay Patil of the Congress and Sneha Dube of the BJP. Sneha is the daughter of former Vasai MLA Vivek Pandit, who is a very senior social activist of Thane-Palghar belt and wife of Naveen Dube, who is an active social worker and politician and part of the hugely-popular Dube family.

Thakur’s son Kahitij Thakur, who is a three-time MLA, faces Rajan Naik of BJP and Sandeep Pandey of the Congress.

Another keen contest is in Kalyan East, where Sulabha Gaikwad of BJP is contesting against Dhananjay Badore of Shiv Sena (UBT). Sulabha is wife of Ganpat Gaikwad, who was arrested in case of firing inside a police station and injuring two others.

In Ulhasnagar, Omie Kalani has been fielded by Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) against Kumar Ailani of BJP, who is the sitting MLA. Omie is son of former MLAs Pappu Kalani and Jyoti Kalani.

Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.

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