Lok Sabha Elections: The Congress on Thursday named its Mumbai unit president Varsha Gaikwad as the party candidate for the Mumbai North-Central Lok Sabha seat. The All India Congress Committee (AICC) made this announcement in a statement.
Gaikwad, a former Maharashtra minister, has been a four-time MLA from the Dharavi assembly constituency in Mumbai that she currently represents. She had expressed interest in contesting the Mumbai South-Central seat, which was earlier held by her late father Eknath Gaikwad.
The Congress is set to contest two Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai this time as per the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) seat-sharing deal. The other seat that has gone to the Congress is Mumbai North. Four other Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai will be contested by the Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray. Polling in Mumbai will be held on May 20. At present, the Mumbai North-Central seat is represented by Bharatiya Janata Party's Poonam Mahajan.
Following her nomination from Mumbai North-Central Lok Sabha seat, Congress leaders and supporters congratulated Gaikwad.
Varsha Eknath Gaikwad said, "I am thankful to the party for firstly giving me the opportunity to work as Mumbai Congress president and now for giving me a chance to contest from Mumbai North Central Parliamentary constituency. I want to thank Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Sharad Pawar and other senior leaders. I have always been working with the people and I believe public will give me love and blessings in the form of votes."