Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS Alliance Secures Worli Victory Amidst Internal Turmoil
The Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) alliance demonstrated resilience in Mumbai's Worli area. They successfully defended their political stronghold despite facing significant internal rebellions. The alliance captured five out of the six available seats in the Worli-Prabhadevi region.
Rebellions Fail to Topple Thackeray Bastion
Political observers had anticipated potential upsets due to widespread dissent within party ranks. Four of the six wards in Worli witnessed Shiv Sena (UBT) rebels contesting as independent candidates. This internal challenge threatened to disrupt the established political equations in this prestigious constituency.
Worli holds special significance for the Thackeray family. It serves as the assembly constituency for MLA Aaditya Thackeray. The area also represents two Shiv Sena (UBT) MLCs, Sachin Ahir and Sunil Shinde. The rebellion stemmed largely from discontent over ticket distribution. Many party members expressed frustration about tickets being allocated to family members of established leaders.
Key Contests and Rebel Candidates
The electoral battles in Worli featured several notable rebel candidates challenging the official alliance nominees:
- In Ward 194, Nishikant Shinde (brother of MLC Sunil Shinde) represented the alliance. Local party functionary Sonal (Shailaja) Pawar contested independently as a rebel candidate.
- Ward 196 saw Padmaja Chemburkar, wife of former corporator Ashish Chemburkar, as the Thackeray-backed candidate. She faced competition from independent rebel Sangeeta Jagtap, a Shiv Sena (UBT) functionary.
- Former deputy mayor Hemangi Worlikar contested from Ward 193 in Worli Koliwada. Her candidacy prompted local shakha pramukh Suryakant Koli to rebel and file as an independent.
- MNS candidate Rachna Salvi contested Ward 197. She encountered competition from independent candidate Shrawani Desai, wife of former corporator Parashuram Desai.
The Shiv Sena faction led by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde managed to secure only one seat in Worli. Vanita Narwankar, wife of former Shiv Sena corporator Datta Narwankar, emerged victorious in Ward 197.
Historical Context and Electoral Performance
Aaditya Thackeray's political journey in Worli reveals interesting electoral patterns. In the 2019 assembly elections, he achieved a decisive victory. Thackeray defeated his Nationalist Congress Party rival Suresh Mane by an impressive margin exceeding 70,000 votes.
The 2024 Lok Sabha elections presented a different scenario. Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Arvind Sawant secured a much narrower lead of just 6,715 votes from the Worli assembly segment. This indicated potential vulnerability in the Thackeray stronghold.
Recent assembly elections further highlighted the changing dynamics. Aaditya Thackeray managed to retain his Worli assembly constituency. However, his victory margin reduced significantly to 8,801 votes against Shiv Sena candidate Milind Deora.
Despite these challenges and the widespread rebellion, the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance maintained its dominance in Worli. Their performance echoed their success in the 2017 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections. The alliance proved capable of overcoming internal dissent to protect this crucial political territory.
