Maharashtra Elections 2024: Mahim seat at high stakes among the 3 Sena parties

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The esteemed Mahim assembly seat in Mumbai is at high stakes in this year's Maharashtra elections as it sees competition among the ruling Shiv Sena, the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), PTI reported.

Mahim has witnessed the birth of the undivided Shiv Sena in the year 1966 and then MNS in 2006 when Raj Thackeray launched his own independent political party.

According to PTI, Raj Thackerya's son Amit Thackeray is set to make his electoral debut from the Mahim seat, which is among the 26 assembly segments in Mumbai.

The Shiv Sena, led by the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde, has fielded sitting MLA Sada Sarvankar from Mahim, while Mahesh Sawant from Sena (UBT) will contest from this seat, PTI reported.

When PTI on Wednesday asked Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut about the party would run a candidate against Amit Thackeray, he said that the since the Sena was founded in the Mahim-Dadar belt and it is not possible that it will not contest the seat.

MNS founder Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray are cousins.

Uddhav Thackeray's son Aaditya Thackeray is the MLA from Mumbai's Worli assembly seat and is seeking re-election from the seat in the upcoming elections, PTI cited.

The Shiv Sena went through a spilt in June 2022, when a section of the MLAs, led by Eknath Shinde rebelled against the then-chief minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray.

As per PTI, Mahim has a mix of predominant upper-class Maharashtrians, fairly large cosmopolitan population and minority voters.

The Uddhav Thackeray led - Shiv Sena has its headquarters in Mahim. The area also has the MNS headquarters.

The famous Shivaji Park ground is also located nearby Dadar where both MNS and Sena (UBT) host their yearly Padwa and Dussehra rallies, respectively.

The Mahim constituency has always been with the undivided Shiv Sena or the MNS since 1990.

In 2009, MNS candidate Nitin Sardesai won the Mahim seat.

Elections for the 288-assembly seats of Maharashtra is scheduled to be held on November 20, with vote counting on November 23, PTI reported.