07 June,2024 06:55 AM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet Jadhav
An elated Ravindra Waikar, after winning the North West seat, at the NESCO Centre in Goregaon East in Mumbai on June 4. Pic/Satej Shinde
The razor-thin margin by which Shiv Sena candidate Ravindra Waikar won the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency sheds light on a fascinating dynamic in voting patterns across the seat's six Assembly segments. Surprisingly, Waikar, the sitting MLA of Jogeshwari East, faced a significant challenge on his home turf, where his rival Amol Kirtikar of the Shiv Sena (UBT), got 11,291 more votes than him. The five other Assembly segments that comprise Mumbai North West are Andheri West, Andheri East, Versova, Dindoshi and Goregaon. Andheri West, Versova and Goregaon have BJP MLAs while Andheri East and Dindoshi are represented by the Shiv Sena (UBT).
Sena (UBT) candidate Amol Kirtikar at the NESCO Centre in Goregaon East in Mumbai on June 4. Pic/Satej Shinde
Jogeshwari East
Waikar faced a significant challenge, with his former party's candidate Kirtikar securing 83,409 votes here. The incumbent MLA secured 72,118 votes in this Assembly segment.
Dindoshi
In this Assembly segment, represented by Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Sunil Prabhu, Kirtikar again outperformed Waikar, garnering 77,469 votes, 1,701 more than Waikar's tally of 75,768.
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Goregaon
This Assembly segment, a BJP stronghold represented by Vidya Thakur, played a pivotal role in Waikar emerging victorious. Waikar received 94,304 votes here, significantly more than Kirtikar's 70,562.
Versova
Kirtikar performed exceptionally well in this BJP-dominated area represented by two-time MLA Bharati Lavekar. He bagged 80,487 votes while his Sena rival managed to get 59,397.
Andheri West
In this Assembly constituency, represented by BJP legislator Ameet Satam, Waikar secured 70,743 votes, securing a narrow lead over Kirtikar by 221 votes.
Andheri East
Waikar regained his footing in Andheri East, represented by Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Rutuja Latke. He received 78,764 votes here, surpassing Kirtikar's tally of 68,646.
LS constituency facts
The North West Lok Sabha constituency, one of the most crucial ones in Mumbai, includes the coastal stretch of Versova as well as the slum pockets of Andheri, Goregaon, Behram Baug in Oshiwara, Jogeshwari East and tribal hamlets of Aarey Milk Colony.
The constituency also comprises the upmarket localities of Lokhandwala, Four and Seven Bungalows, Versova, Shashtri Nagar in Andheri West, and posh localities along the JVLR near Jogeshwari and Goregaon.
It also has a variegated population. Around 37.2 per cent of the electorate are Marathi speakers, 19.3 per cent are Muslims, 18.3 per cent are North Indian and 12.4 per cent are Gujarati/Marwari. There are also South Indians (5.6 per cent), Christians (2.8 per cent), Punjabis (1.3 per cent), Sindhis (one per cent) and others (2.1 per cent).
