Shiv Sena leader Milind Deora confirmed on Friday that he will contest the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections from the Worli constituency, challenging Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray. “Chief Minister @mieknathshinde ji believes that justice for Worli and Worlikars is long overdue. Together, we’re paving the way forward and will share our vision soon. It’s Worli NOW!,” Deora posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Chief Minister @mieknathshinde ji believes that justice for #Worli & Worlikars is long overdue.
Together, we’re paving the way forward & will share our vision soon.
It’s Worli NOW!
— Milind Deora | मिलिंद देवरा ☮️ (@milinddeora) October 25, 2024
The decision comes as the Shiv Sena faction, led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, announced that they will field Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora in the key contest for Worli, news agency ANI reported. The announcement follows a day after Aaditya Thackeray of the Shiv Sena (UBT) submitted his nomination for the same seat.
Milind Deora is a three-time Member of Parliament from South Mumbai and is currently serving as a Rajya Sabha member. During the recent Lok Sabha polls, Deora was tasked with managing the Worli region, which has traditionally been under Aaditya Thackeray’s influence. Despite this, the constituency saw only a narrow lead of 6,500 votes for the UBT faction in previous polls.
In addition to Deora and Thackeray, Sandeep Deshpande of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has also been given a ticket for the same seat, making the contest a three-way race.
Maharashtra Election: Aaditya Thackeray Says Fight ‘To Stop Loot Done By CM Eknath Shinde’
Meanwhile, former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on Friday told news agency ANI, “This election is between those who love Maharashtra and who are against Maharashtra. We are fighting to election to stop the loot done by CM Eknath Shinde…”
On Thursday, before filing his nomination from the Worli Assembly constituency, Aaditya Thackeray expressed confidence in his support base. “I am very confident that the people will bless me because we are about to form government in Maharashtra and that is for sure. As you can see, this atmosphere is very good, you can see the love people are giving me, and with this, I will be filing my nomination,” he told ANI.
Both the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) have ramped up their efforts for the state’s upcoming Assembly elections, which include 288 seats. The Mahayuti alliance includes the BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. Meanwhile, the MVA alliance consists of the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress.
The Maharashtra Assembly elections are scheduled for 20th November, with the counting of votes for all constituencies set to take place on 23rd November. In the 2019 elections, the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena 56, and the Congress 44. In 2014, the BJP secured 122 seats, the Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42.
