Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024: Ahead of polls, Chennithala holds discussions with state Congress leaders

Ramesh Chennithala/Pic/INCMaharashtra/X

The All India Congress Committee in-charge of Maharashtra Ramesh Chennithala met state party leaders in Mumbai on Sunday and discussed strategy and issues to be highlighted in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024, Mumbai unit chief Varsha Gaikwad said, reported the PTI.

According to the PTI, Ramesh Chennithala held deliberations with the state Congress leaders ahead of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi's (MVA) meet scheduled on August 7, Varsha Gaikwad told reporters.

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Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (SP) head Sharad Pawar, alliance partners of the Congress, are expected to attend the MVA meeting on Wednesday.
Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra assembly are due in October this year.

Varsha Gaikwad, the Congress MP from Mumbai North Central seat, said she has held discussions with Thackeray on the opposition alliance's approach in Mumbai regarding seat-sharing.

"Talks are on. We will contest the assembly polls in alliance," she said, the news agency reported on Sunday.

Apart from Gaikwad, former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, Congress Legislature Party leader Balasaheb Thorat, state unit head Nana Patole and senior leaders Nitin Raut, Satej Patil and Naseem Khan attended the deliberations with Chennithala.

MNS likely to contest Worli seat against Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray

With the lead of Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate falling to less than 7,000 in Worli in the recent Lok Sabha polls, the MNS senses an opportunity and is likely to field Sandeep Deshpande from this assembly seat currently held by Aaditya Thackeray, reported the PTI.

A home to some of India's wealthiest residents, Worli, part of Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency, is marked by high-rises and thriving business hubs. However, it also contains dilapidated 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, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (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, CM Shinde directed officials to prioritise addressing Worli's issues, according to the Chief Minister's Office, the PTI reported.

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, the son of Shiv Sena (UBT) head and former CM Uddhav 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 saw a significant drop in lead during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, with party candidate Arvind Sawant leading 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 MNS now sees a potential opening. It remains unclear whether the ruling alliance or the MNS will contest together. 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.

(with PTI inputs)