01 May,2024 04:54 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde. File Pic
The battle lines have been set in six Mumbai seats for Lok Sabha elections 2024. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Shiv Sena-led by Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde will compete for three seats.
In one seat, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress will square off, while in two seats, the traditional adversaries will square off: the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the BJP.
The six constituencies in Mumbai are Mumbai South, Mumbai South-Central, Mumbai North, Mumbai North-Central, Mumbai North-East, Mumbai North-West. These are among the 13 seats in Maharashtra that will go to polls in the fifth and final phase on May 20.
Mumbai South, Mumbai South-Central and Mumbai North-West will see a fight between the two Senas, while Mumbai North-East will be a BJP versus Shiv Sena (UBT) face-off.
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In Mumbai South, sitting MP Arvind Sawant of the Uddhav Thackeray will take on Yamini Jadhav of the Shinde-led Sena. Jadhav represents the Byculla assembly constituency in Mumbai.
The Shive Sena (UBT) leader Anil Desai is pitted against Rahul Shewale of the Eknath Shinde-led Sena in Mumbai South-Central. While Desai was a Rajya Sabha member till recently, Rahul Shewale is the sitting Lok Sabha MP.
Amol Kirtikar of the Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) will take on Ravindra Waikar of the ruling Shiv Sena-led by CM Shinde in Mumbai North-West.
Ravinder Waikar who was earlier with the Shiv Sena (UBT), joined the Eknath Shinde camp recently. He currently represents Jogeshwari East assembly constituency in Mumbai.
Meanwhile Congress MLA Varsha Gaikwad, the party's Mumbai unit president will fight it out against noted lawyer Ujjwal Nikam fielded by the BJP in Mumbai North-Central.
Union minister and senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal will take on Bhushan Patil of the Congress in Mumbai North. While Gaikwad represents the Dharavi assembly segment in Mumbai, Piyush Goyal is a Rajya Sabha member.
In Mumbai North-East, BJP's Mihir Kotecha will fight against Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Dina Patil. Mihir Kotecha is the MLA from Mulund assembly constituency in Mumbai.
After filing her nomination form, Varsha Gaikwad called on Uddhav Thackeray, who promised his support to her, saying she will be sent to Delhi as an MP. It will be for the first time that Uddhav Thackeray will vote for a Congress candidate as his residence in Bandra comes under the Mumbai North-Central constituency.
Congress and Shiv Sena have traditionally been political opponents in Mumbai till 2019.
"Despite being opponents, the two parties have been in tactical understanding on many occasions to get positions of power, especially in the Mumbai civic body," senior journalist Prakash Akolkar saidm according to the PTI.
As per the picture emerging on ground, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress cadre have gelled well on the ground.
Varsha Gaikwad visited all Shiv Sena shakhas in Mumbai North-Central constituency, seeking "blessings" of the Uddhav Thackeray-led cadre and in turn promising to be always available to them and fight for issues related to the city. She was warmly welcomed everywhere.
(with PTI inputs)
