With Maharashtra’s Assembly elections on the horizon, political parties are intensifying preparations. On Monday, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray revealed the party’s initial candidates: Bala Nandgaonkar for Mumbai’s Shivadi constituency and Dilip Dhotre for Pandharpur.
Thackeray confirmed that the MNS will contest the elections independently, opting not to form alliances with other parties. This decision follows Thackeray’s earlier unconditional support for the Mahayuti coalition (comprising the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Ajit Pawar-led NCP, and BJP) during the Lok Sabha elections. Despite this support, MNS’s expected candidate for the South Mumbai Lok Sabha seat, Bala Nandgaonkar, was not fielded as the Mahayuti chose sitting Byculla MLA Yamini Jadhav. Jadhav lost to Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant.
The MNS plans to field candidates in 255 of Maharashtra’s 288 constituencies for the upcoming Assembly elections. Thackeray has already embarked on a statewide tour to strengthen the party’s presence and energize grassroots workers.
One of the high-profile contests will be Mumbai’s Worli constituency, currently held by Aaditya Thackeray. MNS is likely to field Sandeep Deshpande for this seat. In the recent Lok Sabha elections, Arvind Sawant of the MVA won South Mumbai with a narrow margin, heightening the significance of the Worli seat. In response, Raj Thackeray met with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to discuss concerns specific to Worli. Following their meeting, Shinde instructed officials to prioritize issues in the area.
Deshpande has been actively engaging with residents in Worli, Dadar, and Wadala, regions traditionally dominated by Shiv Sena and MNS. As the elections approach, the MNS aims to capitalize on local issues and strengthen its foothold in these key constituencies.
