Maharashtra assembly elections 2024: 20 out of 36 Mumbai seats have nepo candidates

For the upcoming Assembly elections, more than half of the 36 seats in Mumbai have candidates from established political families, with 20 contenders hailing from influential dynasties. Notably, three candidates are related to the Thackeray family. While the eastern suburbs have three such candidates, south Mumbai sees nine, and the western suburbs 8, each with ties to prominent political figures.

Milind Deora (Shiv Sena) - Worli

Milind Deora and Murali Deora

His father, Murli Deora, was a senior leader of the Indian National Congress and the longest-serving president of the Mumbai Congress. He served as an MP in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and was also a minister. Milind Deora is known for his early entry into politics, becoming one of the youngest members of parliament at the age of 27.

Rahul Narwekar (BJP) - Colaba

Rahul Narwekar and Suresh Narwekar

Rahul's father, Suresh Narwekar, was a BMC corporator from the Colaba area. Rahul's brother, Makarand Narwekar, is a second-term municipal corporator. Narvekar is also the son-in-law of senior NCP leader Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar.

Aaditya Thackeray, Shiv Sena (UBT) - Worli

Balasaheb Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray and Aaditya Thackeray. File pic

Grandson of Balasaheb Thackeray and son of Uddhav. Aaditya entered politics in the presence of Uddhav Thackeray at the Shivaji Park Dussehra rally and contested his first Assembly election in 2019 from Worli, where he won.

Dr Jyoti Gaikwad (Congress) - Dharavi

Dr Jyothi Gaikwad, Eknath Gaikwad and Varsha Gaikwad

Daughter of Eknath Gaikwad, former MP from Dharavi. Jyoti's sister, Varsha Gaikwad, is a sitting MP from the Mumbai North Central constituency. Jyoti recently changed her last name from Girigosavi to Gaikwad, which is her maiden name.

Yamini Jadhav (SS) - Byculla

Yamini Jadhav and Yashwant Jadhav

Yamini is wife of Shiv Sena leader and former chairman of the standing committee, Yashwant Jadhav. He was a former corporator in the BMC, and when his constituency was reserved for women, Yamini Jadhav contested and won in 2012. In 2019, she also won the Assembly election.

Amit Thackeray (MNS) - Mahim

Son of Raj Thackeray and grandson of Balasaheb Thackeray. Although Amit is already active in politics, this is his first election. Raj who was part of Shiv Sena started his own party MNS after he resigned from in 2005. In 2006 he founded MNS.

Aslam Shaikh (Congress) - Malad

Aslam Shaikh and Ramzan Ali Shaikh

Aslam Shaikh is the sitting Congress MLA from Malad West and is the son of the late Ramzan Ali Shaikh, a politician from the area. Ramzan Ali Shaikh was a former Samajwadi Party corporator. Aslam Shaikh has been elected three times and has won from the Malad West constituency in 2009, 2014, and 2019.

Vinod Shelar (BJP) - Malad West

Ashish Shelar and Vinod Shelar

Vinod is the brother of BJP leader and two-time MLA Ashish Shelar. Vinod has been associated with the BJP for a long time but will be contesting in the Assembly elections for the first time.

Zeeshan Siddique (NCP) - Bandra East

Zeesha Siddique and Baba Siddique

Zeeshan is the son of former minister and NCP Ajit Pawar faction leader late Baba Siddique. Zeeshan is a sitting MLA from the Bandra East constituency and recently joined the NCP, where he will contest again.

Sameer Desai (SS-UBT)

Sameer Desai and Gurudas Kamat

Sameer is the nephew of the late Congress leader, and former Congress MP Gurudas Kamat. Desai is a former corporator who quit Congress in 2014 and joined the BJP. He later joined Shiv Sena (UBT).

Manisha Ravindra Waikar (SS) - Jogeshwari

Manisha Waikar and Ravindra Waikar

Manisha is the wife of Ravindra Waikar, Shiv Sena leader, who is currently an MP from Mumbai North West. Ravindra has also been a three-time MLA from the Jogeshwari East Assembly constituency. Manisha Waikar has been active in social work but was not directly involved in politics. She is contesting as a Shiv Sena candidate from the Jogeshwari East Assembly constituency.

Varun Sardesai (SS-UBT) - Bandra East

Varun Sardesai and Aaditya Thackeray

Varun is the cousin of former minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and will be contesting on a Shiv Sena (UBT) ticket from the Bandra East Assembly constituency. Sardesai has been actively involved in the Yuva Sena for many years and has raised issues related to student politics.

Kedar Dighe (SS-UBT) - Kopari Panchpakhadi Thane

Anand Dighe and Kedar Dighe

Kedar nephew of the late Shiv Sena leader Anand Dighe is contesting from the Kopari Panchpakhadi constituency against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Rutuja Latke (SS-UBT) - Andheri East

Rutuja Latke and Ramesh Latke

Rutuja is the wife of the late MLA Ramesh Latke, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, who represented the Andheri East Assembly constituency in 2014 and 2019. Rutuja Latke was a government employee, and after her husband's demise, she stood for the by-election in 2022 from the Andheri East constituency. Now, she will be contesting on Shiv Sena (UBT) ticket from the same constituency.

Sunil Raut (SS-UBT) - Vikhroli

Sanjay Raut and Sunil Raut

Sunil is the younger brother of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut. Sunil was elected in both the 2014 and 2019 Assembly elections.

Sulbha Gaikwad (BJP) - Kalyan

Sulbha Gaikwad and Ganpat Gaikwad

Sulbha is BJP's candidate for Kalyan East constituency is the wife of BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad, who shot at a Shinde Sena leader in February.

Trupti Prakash Sawant (MNS) - Bandra East

Trupti Sawant and Prakash Bala Sawant. File pic

Trupti is a former MLA and the wife of former corporator and MLA Prakash Bala Sawant. After the demise of her husband, she won the by-election on Shiv Sena ticket from the Bandra East Assembly seat in 2015 by defeating Narayan Rane. In 2019, she was denied a ticket by the undivided Shiv Sena and subsequently contested as an independent from the Bandra East Assembly seat but lost.

Rakhee Jadhav (NCP-SP) - Ghatkopar East

Rakhee Jadhav and Bharti Jadhav

Rakhee is daughter of Bharti Jadhav, who won the corporation election in 1997 as an independent. Her mother later joined Congress and then NCP. Rakhee has served in the corporation for the last three terms and is now contesting in the Assembly election.

Shraddha Jadhav (SS-UBT) - Wadala

Shraddha Jadhav

Shraddha's father-in-law, Mukund Jadhav, was a former corporator.

Snehal Jadhav (SS-UBT) - Wadala

Sudhir Jadhav and Snehal Jadhav

Snehal is the wife of Sudhir Jadhav, a former corporator of MNS. She contested the corporation election in 2017 when her ward was reserved for women.

Sandeep Naik (NCP-SP) - Airoli

Sandeep Naik and Ganesh Naik

Sandeep's father BJP leader Ganesh Naik is contesting from the Airoli constituency of Navi Mumbai, while his son Sandeep is contesting from the Belapur constituency as a candidate of the NCP-SP. Sandeep joined NCP-SP after he was denied ticket by BJP.

Sana Shaikh (NCP) - Anushakti Nagar

Sana Malik with Nawab Malik

Daughter of Nawab Malik, who was elected to the Maharashtra Assembly in 1996, 1999, 2004 from Nehru Nagar and in 2009 from Anushakti Nagar. He is currently the Mumbai president of the Nationalist Congress Party.