Raj Thackeray's MNS likely to contest Worli seat against Aaditya Thackeray

Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is likely to field Sandeep Deshpande from the Worli assembly seat currently held by Aaditya Thackeray. In the 2019 assembly polls, Aaditya Thackeray, son of Uddhav Thackeray, had won the seat by over 60,000 votes. However, in the recent Lok Sabha elections, this margin dropped to less than 7,000 votes. 

As the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate's lead has come down, the MNS is sensing an opportunity to wrest the seat from Aaditya Thackeray. 

Home to some of India's wealthiest residents, Worli is marked by high-rises and thriving business hubs. However, it also contains chawls awaiting redevelopment, such as the BDD chawls and police colonies. Many slum rehabilitation projects are stalled, and some redeveloped buildings have not provided the promised monthly rentals to residents. 

On Saturday, MNS President Raj Thackeray met Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to discuss issues plaguing Worli. The meeting is significant, given the focus on Worli-related concerns. Following the meeting, Shinde directed officials to prioritise addressing Worli's issues, according to the Chief Minister's Office. 
MNS leader Deshpande has been actively engaging with Worli residents addressing their concerns. Notably, the MNS did not field a candidate from Worli in the 2019 assembly polls as Aaditya Thackeray was contesting his maiden election. Aaditya, the first Thackeray to enter electoral politics, won by a margin of 62,247 votes, facing no strong opposition. 

Despite the Shiv Sena (UBT) victory, the Worli assembly segment, part of Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency, saw a significant drop in lead during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Sena (UBT) candidate Arvind Sawant led by just 6,715 votes, the lowest in four of the six assembly constituencies under Mumbai South where he dominated his Shiv Sena challenger. 

The Shiv Sena led by CM Shinde and the ruling BJP are organising events in Worli to strengthen their presence. "In 2017 municipal corporation polls, we (MNS) bagged around 30,000 to 33,000 votes from Worli. We have voters dedicated to MNS in this constituency," Deshpande told PTI. 

The MNS claimed Aaditya Thackeray - the second in command in the Shiv Sena (UBT) hierarchy after his father Uddhav Thackeray - is not accessible to the common people who need a hands-on MLA. "The question is accessibility here. People need an MLA who is accessible, which is not the case with the incumbent MLA," Deshpande said. 

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Sunil Shinde acknowledged the "unexpected drop" in the lead but said it did not mean that people were upset with the party. "Our candidate was far better than our rival (Shiv Sena's Yamini Jadhav). But in the Lok Sabha polls, it was the Modi factor. We did not get the expected response from high-rises," he claimed. The MLC said that in a three-cornered contest, the MNS might eat into votes of Sena (UBT), but only around 2,500. 

(With inputs from PTI)