Voting for the six key seats in Mumbai for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections will be held on Monday, May 20, during the fifth phase. Consequently, today, May 18, marked the final day of campaigning for candidates. Both the Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi alliances kicked off their efforts early, engaging in a series of campaign events including roadshows, bike rallies, public meetings, and voter interaction programs. Major state leaders from all parties participated, aiming to make a strong final impression on voters.
Here’s a summary of the activities undertaken by the major candidates on all 6 seats on the last day of campaigning:
1) Mumbai South
Yamini Jadhav (Shiv Sena - Shinde)
Yamini Jadhav began her day with a bike rally alongside BJP leader and Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly, Rahul Narvekar. Later, actor Govinda, a recent addition to Shinde Sena, joined her campaign rally. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Milind Deora, and Yashwant Jadhav also participated in her campaign during the latter part of the day.
Arvind Sawant (Shiv Sena - UBT)
The incumbent MP, Arvind Sawant, interacted with voters during a morning walk. His digital campaign focused on his plans if re-elected. Later, Uddhav Thackeray held a rally for him at Kalachowki, accompanied by Ambadas Danve, Amin Patel, Tushar Gandhi, and Preeti Menon Sharma from the MVA alliance.
2) Mumbai South Central
Rahul Shewale (BJP)
Rahul Shewale led a bike rally with support from BJP Mumbai President Ashish Shelar, MLA Prasad Lad, and others. In the afternoon, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and MLC Manisha Kayande joined his campaign.
Anil Desai (Shiv Sena - UBT)
Anil Desai also led a bike rally and garnered support from local organizations like Rashtriya Ekta Dal and Jaisvar Vikas Sangh. Uddhav Thackeray addressed a campaign rally for Desai in Dadar later in the day.
3) Mumbai North
Piyush Goyal (BJP)
Union Minister Piyush Goyal met voters during a morning walk in Borivali and released a video explaining the impact of their votes.
Bhushan Patil (Congress)
The Congress party organized a bike roadshow for Bhushan Patil from Malad to Borivali. The rally featured prominent leaders like Aaditya Thackeray, Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole, and MLAs Aslam Shaikh and Naseem Khan.
4) Mumbai North Central
Adv Ujjwal Nikam (BJP)
Ujjwal Nikam interacted with voters in Hiranandani gardens, campaigned in Vile Parle, and met with business associations in Kurla. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a rally for him in Kurla, supported by BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar.
Varsha Gaikwad (Congress)
Varsha Gaikwad focused on a bike rally from Bandra to Kurla and attended the INDIA bloc press conference. She also released a manifesto addressing key issues in her constituency.
5) Mumbai North West
Ravindra Waikar (Shiv Sena - Shinde)
Ravindra Waikar addressed public meetings in Malad's Aarey Sarita and participated in rallies in Kajuwadi and Goregaon West with Union Minister Ramdas Athawale. He concluded with a meeting in Jogeshwari East.
Amol Kirtikar (Shiv Sena - UBT)
Uddhav Thackeray led a bike rally for Amol Kirtikar, joined by former ministers Subhash Desai, Anil Parab, and MLA Sunil Prabhu. Thackeray also released a video urging voters to support Kirtikar.
6) Mumbai North East
Mihir Kotecha (BJP)
Mihir Kotecha held a roadshow in Bhandup with Union Minister Narayan Rane and visited the MNS office in Vikhroli with Raj Thackeray.
Sanjay Dina Patil (Shiv Sena - UBT)
Sanjay Dina Patil distributed voter slips and had Uddhav Thackeray address a public meeting in Vikhroli. Other prominent Shiv Sena leaders, including Sanjay Raut and Milind Narvekar, were present.
The final day of campaigning saw national parties allocating major alliance leaders to support candidates in tougher battles, such as Aaditya Thackeray for Bhushan Patil (Congress) and Yogi Adityanath for Ujjwal Nikam (BJP). CM Eknath Shinde campaigned for Yamini Jadhav and Rahul Shewale, while Uddhav Thackeray campaigned for all four Shiv Sena (UBT) candidates. Stronger candidates like Piyush Goyal, Varsha Gaikwad, and Mihir Kotecha continued their campaigns without the need for additional high-profile support.