Thackeray's son Tejas arrives at the public meeting. Sardesai is a close aide of Tejas's elder brother Aaditya, who is the sitting legislator from Worli
Thackeray was the CM of Maharashtra from 2019 to 2022 till his government fell following a split in the party
The Vandre East (Bandra East) constituency, home to the commercial hub Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and the Thackeray residence Matoshree, is set to witness a high-stakes electoral battle
The traditional Shiv Sena stronghold will see Sardesai, a trusted aide of Aaditya, face off against NCP (Ajit Pawar) candidate and sitting MLA Zeeshan Siddique
This is not merely a fierce contest for the candidates; it is also a significant test for the Thackeray family and the Shiv Sena (UBT)
The opposing side, however, faces its own trials: Zeeshan’s father, former state minister Baba Siddique, was recently murdered near the former’s office
Having recently joined the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), this election will serve as a litmus test for the young legislator
In the 2019 election, Siddique won this seat by defeating Vishwanath Mahadeshwar of the undivided Shiv Sena, a former mayor of Mumbai
Historically, it was won by the undivided Shiv Sena in 2009 and 2014, but they lost it in 2019 when Zeeshan secured victory on a Congress ticket. Zeeshan was given a ticket from NCP recently
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