The Lok Sabha candidates for Kalyan and Thane were announced today, ending the prolonged contention within the Mahayuti coalition. Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction successfully secured both constituencies, nominating Shrikant Shinde for Kalyan and former Mayor Naresh Mhaske for Thane. The deadlock over seat-sharing persisted for almost a month after the announcement of Lok Sabha elections. The BJP insisted on claiming one of the two seats – Thane or Kalyan – resulting in delayed candidate announcements. Ultimately, both seats were allocated to the Shinde group.
In Thane, Naresh Mhaske will challenge incumbent MP Rajan Vichare of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena. Meanwhile, CM Shinde’s son, Shrikant, will face UBT’s Vaishali Darekar-Rane in Kalyan. Shrikant’s candidacy was widely anticipated, with Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis endorsing him on April 7, expressing BJP's firm support. Mhaske was also considered a front-runner for the Thane LS seat, along with Sena’s Pratap Sarnaik and Ravindra Phatak, while BJP’s Sanjeev Naik expressed interest in contesting.
Shrikant has represented the Kalyan LS seat since 2014. Mhaske, as Shiv Sena Thane District Chief and former mayor (2019–2022), brings considerable local experience. Kalyan Lok Sabha Constituency holds significant political importance, being considered a key battleground. Historically, it has been a stronghold of the undivided Shiv Sena party. The incumbent Member of Parliament, Shrikant Shinde, son of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, enjoys the support of his father's camp, providing an advantage to the ruling party. In the 2019 elections, Shrikant Shinde, contesting under the Shiv Sena banner, secured 5,59,723 votes, while his opponent from the Nationalist Congress Party received 2,15,380 votes. The Election Commission has scheduled the polling for the Kalyan constituency on May 20, during Phase 5 of the Lok Sabha elections. The results are expected to be announced on June 4.