Infighting In Mahayuti? Why Are BJP and Shiv Sena Locking Horns Over Mahim Seat & Its Significance Explained

While the BJP has pledged its support for Raj Thackeray's son Amit Thackeray, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has chosen to field their sitting MLA.

File photo of Amit Thackeray and Sadanand Sarvnakar.

Source : X

The ruling Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra is in a fix over the selection of candidates for the Mahim seat with three weeks remaining for the assembly polls in the state. 

In the Mahim constituency, located in the heart of Mumbai, the ruling alliance is locked in a triangular contest between Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray's son Amit Thackeray, sitting Shiv Sena MLA Sadanand Sarvnakar and Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Mahesh Sawant.

While the BJP has pledged its support for Amit Thackeray, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has chosen to field their sitting MLA.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said his party wants to throw its weight behind debutant Amit Thackeray in the seat in south central Mumbai. 

The Shiv Sena as well as the BJP have been trying to persuade Sarvankar to withdraw from the race, but he has been firm on contesting.

However, Shiv Sena’s candidate Sadanand Sarvnakar has urged Raj Thackeray not to do injustice to him by urging the MNS chief to withdraw from the poll race where the latter's son Amit is also in the fray.

मी चाळीस वर्षापासून शिवसेनेचा कार्यकर्ता आहे. आम्ही आमच्या कष्टाने आणि घामाने तीन वेळा माहिमचा आमदार झालो.

बाळासाहेब असते तर त्यांनी मला आपल्या नातेवाईकांसाठी सीट सोडायला सांगितलं नसतं. त्यांचे पन्नास नातेवाईक दादर - माहिम मध्ये राहतात पण उमेदवारी त्यांनी माझ्यासारख्या सामान्य…

— Sada Sarvankar (@misadasarvankar) October 30, 2024

In a post on X, Sarvankar said he has been a Shiv Sena worker for 40 years and has become MLA three times through hard work. "Had the late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray been there, he would not have asked him to abandon the seat for his relatives," Sarvankar said. 

Sarvankar said Bal Thackeray’s relatives live in Dadar-Mahim yet he picked an ordinary worker like him. "Despite Shrikant Shinde becoming an MP three times, his father Eknath Shinde did not make him a minister at the Centre. Instead, he gave that opportunity to a loyal Shiv Sainik," Sarvankar said, referring to Union minister and Sena leader Prataprao Jadhav.

Besides Sarvankar and Amit Thackeray, Shiv Sena's (UBT) Mahesh Sawant is also in the fray from Mahim which covers areas like Dadar. 

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has hit out at Raj Thackeray saying that the MNS leader, who did not allow PM Modi and Amit Shah to come to Maharashtra, has now started praising them. 

"His son is contesting the elections so you can understand his mental state. This leader did not even allow PM Modi and HM Amit Shah to come to Maharashtra but now he has started praising them, so he has fear in his mind. It may be about his son's future...But in Maharashtra, there will be a CM of MVA and Raj Thackeray very well knows this," Raut said.

What Has Devendra Fadnavis Said?

Fadnavis said the BJP and CM Shinde had reached a consensus on supporting MNS candidate Amit Thackeray, who is making his electoral debut, in the Mahim assembly constituency.  

“However, leaders from the Shinde-led Shiv Sena argued that if the party did not contest the election, its dedicated voters would shift to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT). The BJP was ready to support Amit and is still firm on its stand,” he said.  

Asked about the solution to this conundrum, Fadnavis said, “When we (leaders of Mahayuti) meet, we will discuss and try to find a solution.”   

Fadnavis has said his party would try to persuade most of its rebels to withdraw their nominations, but added that there will be friendly fights in some seats in the November 20 state polls.

Why Mahim Seat Is Important For Shiv Sena And MNS?

The Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharahtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) hold emotional attachment to Dadar.  

Though Raj Thackeray’s MNS is not a part of the Mahayuti, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's NCP, he supported the ruling alliance in the Lok Sabha polls held earlier this year.  

Mahim has witnessed the birth of the undivided Shiv Sena (1966) and then the MNS, which came into existence in 2006 when Raj Thackeray charted his own independent political course.

The elections in the 288-member Maharashtra state assembly will take place on November 20, while the counting of votes will be done on November 23.