Mumbai witnessed a political showdown where the Thackeray cousins, Uddhav and Raj, lost overall control of the city but fiercely defended their stronghold in the Marathi heartland of South and Central Mumbai. Their influence, however, remained largely confined to these Marathi-dominated zones, with limited reach beyond.
Thackeray Alliance Dominates Key Areas
The Mahayuti coalition managed to secure only a handful of seats in critical regions like Dadar-Mahim, Worli, Sewri, Lalbaug-Parel, and parts of Wadala. In contrast, the Sena (UBT)-MNS combine retained the majority. Out of approximately 20 seats across these areas, Mahayuti won merely 2-3, while the Thackerays claimed the rest.
Strategic Wins for Sena (UBT)
Sena (UBT) demonstrated its commitment by fielding three former mayors—Kishori Pednekar, Vishakha Raut, and Milind Vaidya—from this region. All three emerged victorious, underscoring the party's serious intent to dominate here.
In Dadar-Mahim and Worli, Shiv Sena's Samadhan Sarvankar and Priya Sarvankar, children of ex-Sena MLA Sada Sarvankar, faced defeat against Sena (UBT) candidates Nishikant Shinde and Vishakha Raut. Mahayuti's only successes in these zones came from Shinde Sena's Vanita Sarvankar in Worli and BJP's Sheetal Gambhir in Mahim.
Battle for Marathi Loyalty
Most seats in Marathi strongholds featured direct confrontations between Shinde Sena and the Thackeray cousins. A political observer noted, "The real battle for the Marathi manoos' loyalty was fought in Central Mumbai. This is the Marathi heartland, the last bastion of Sena (UBT), undefeated in Lok Sabha and assembly polls so far. Sena (UBT) won the Lok Sabha South Mumbai seat and all assembly seats like Worli, Sewri, and Dadar-Mahim. The BMC elections served as a litmus test for the Sena (UBT)-MNS combine. With the Thackeray cousins uniting, they retained their bastion, while Mahayuti only made a small dent."
Challenges and Defections
This performance by UBT Sena-MNS followed significant defections, with several former corporators from both parties switching to the Shinde-led Sena or BJP. MNS's former corporator from Worli, Santosh Dhuri, was the latest to leave, joining the BJP just days before the BMC polls. Similarly, former Sena (UBT) MLA Dagdu Sakpal moved to Shinde Sena last week.
Sena (UBT) also grappled with rebels in four out of six wards in Worli, posing a challenge for the UBT-MNS alliance. The rebellion stemmed from ticket allocations favoring family members of Sena (UBT) leaders.
Analyst Insights on the Stronghold
An analyst remarked, "The Sena originated in this locality in 1966, so it has always been a bastion. However, BJP and Shinde Sena have made inroads. Mahayuti opening its account with one or two wins indicates a dent in the Thackeray stronghold. The Thackerays aimed for a 100% strike rate in Central Mumbai. Yet, Shinde performed worse than expected, impacting Mahayuti's prospects."
