In a dramatic turn of events for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction has officially thrown its weight behind an independent candidate in Mulund's Ward No. 107, directly challenging the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Neil Somaiya. This move comes just days after BJP leader Kirit Somaiya claimed his son would be elected unopposed.
The 'Unopposed' Claim and a Sudden Reversal
Two days prior, senior BJP politician Kirit Somaiya had expressed confidence that his son, Neil Somaiya, would secure a second term from Mulund's Ward No. 107. His confidence stemmed from the belief that no candidate from the main opposition parties was contesting against him. He later posted on social media platform X, stating the Election Commission's final list showed Neil as the only candidate from major parties.
However, the situation changed on Sunday when Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray declared independent nominee Dinesh Jadhav as the party's official candidate for the ward. The party's Rajya Sabha MP, Sanjay Raut, explained the complex sequence of events that led to this declaration.
Seat-Sharing Snag and Nomination Rejection
Raut revealed that during seat-sharing talks with ally Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) or NCP (SP), the latter had demanded Ward No. 107, claiming they had a strong candidate. The Shiv Sena (UBT) reluctantly agreed. The alliance decided to collectively support the NCP (SP) candidate, Bharat Vanani.
"But the 'unopposed elected scam' happened in Ward No. 107 too," Raut alleged. The nomination form of NCP (SP) candidate Bharat Vanani was rejected by authorities, leading to his disqualification from the race. Following this, Kirit Somaiya began celebrating, claiming the path was clear for his son.
"Kirit Somaiya started dancing 'unopposed, unopposed' and saying 'no one is contesting against my son'. But that's not the case," Raut stated. He clarified that Dinesh Jadhav, whom he called a "hard-core Sainik," had filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate as a backup plan. His nomination was found to be valid.
Official Backing and the Symbol Hurdle
To formalize the support, Uddhav Thackeray issued a letter stating that Jadhav is the official Shiv Sena (UBT)-supported candidate from Ward No. 107. "Neil cannot be elected unopposed, he will have to fight with us," Raut asserted.
However, a technical hurdle remains for Jadhav's campaign. He was not allotted the Shiv Sena (UBT)'s 'flaming torch' election symbol. Instead, he will contest with the symbol of a 'television set' as an independent, albeit with the party's full backing.
This contest holds significance for Neil Somaiya, who had previously won the BMC election in 2017 from the adjacent Ward No. 108. The political battle for Mulund's Ward 107 is now officially a direct fight, upending earlier predictions of a walkover.
