Amit Thackeray, son of MNS chief Raj Thackeray, has entered the race in the Maharashtra Assembly elections 2024, contesting from the Mahim constituency. Shiv Sena UBT filded Mahesh Sawant against Amit Thackeray. Vidyaman MLA Sada Saravankar also contesting from Mahim on Shiv Sena Shinde group ticket.
This election is set to be challenging for Amit Thackeray as Mahim will witness a three-way battle. Sada Saravankar from the Shiv Sena Shinde faction and Mahesh Sawant from the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) faction have both announced their candidacies against him. However, there are rumors that Sada Saravankar may withdraw, following remarks by BJP leader Ashish Shelar.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ashish Shelar stated, “If Amit Thackeray, who is one of our own, contests the election, I believe we should support him as part of the Grand Alliance.” He also added that he would discuss the matter with the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers to maintain unity within the coalition. “We have no opposition to Sada Saravankar, but as a Grand Alliance, we should take a unified political stance, which will send a positive message to the public.”
Shelar continued, “If Raj Thackeray, who stands for Hindutva and supports us, is in the field, we should maintain this relationship within the coalition, even if Uddhav Thackeray may not approve. With Amit Thackeray contesting, we should come together as the Grand Alliance to support him.”
“I plan to discuss this with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. I believe it’s important for us to maintain unity within the coalition,” Shelar said further.