Former Airoli MLA Sandeep Naik, who recently joined the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), filed his nomination for the Belapur constituency on Monday. A large number of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) party workers attended his roadshow as a show of strength.
Naik remarked that members and office bearers from all MVA parties joined the roadshow to support his nomination, signaling strong support for the coalition. “They came out for change and showed their support,” Naik said.
Last week, 28 corporators, including a former mayor and an opposition leader, joined the NCP-SP alliance along with Naik. Notably, the BJP declined to nominate Naik for the Belapur seat, instead endorsing two-term incumbent Manda Mhatre.
“We have the support of 28 former corporators, which will create a significant advantage over other candidates,” said an NCP-SP party worker.
To date, six candidates have filed their nominations for the Belapur constituency. Besides Naik, Gajanan Kale of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) submitted his nomination on Monday, criticizing previous MLAs for neglecting issues like education and employment. “They never discuss these concerns. I will bring change,” said Kale.
Current Belapur MLA Manda Mhatre is scheduled to file her nomination on October 29, the last filing date.
Earlier, Vijay Nahata, the deputy chief of Navi Mumbai's Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), entered the race as an independent candidate, filing his nomination on Thursday. Nahata explained his candidacy as a response to party workers’ demands, following a meeting on Wednesday where calls emerged for a Shiv Sena-backed candidate in Belapur. Despite the Grand Alliance’s endorsement of BJP candidate Manda Mhatre, Nahata stated he felt compelled to honor his supporters’ wishes.
With Nahata’s entry, the contest in Belapur has intensified, positioning him alongside Naik and Mhatre. Framing his candidacy as a choice between “a literate, retired IAS officer and the rest,” Nahata asserted that Navi Mumbai, as a cosmopolitan city, would benefit from an educated representative focused on development.
In related developments, former Thane guardian minister and Airoli MLA Ganesh Naik filed his nomination on Monday, expressing confidence in divine support for a victory. Additionally, Panvel’s current MLA, Prashant Thakur, also submitted his nomination.