“Aaditya Thackeray has disappeared from Worli in last 5 years”: MNS candidate Sandeep Deshpande

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 26 (ANI): As the Maharashtra Assembly polls approach, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) candidate for the Worli Assembly seat, Sandeep Deshpande, criticised incumbent MLA Aaditya Thackeray–son of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray–alleging that Thackeray has not met his constituency’s residents over the past five years.

Deshpande stated, “The leader (Aaditya Thackeray) from here has been absent for the last five years. The people have never met him. The Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) projects remain incomplete. The BDD Chawl project, in which housing was to be allocated through a lottery, is riddled with corruption. No development work has been done in the chawls; hospitals lack ICUs, and Worli still has no private schools.”

He added that Aaditya Thackeray only appears during elections.

“The people believed they had chosen a prominent leader (Aaditya Thackeray), expecting development. But no such thing happened. There is no concept of a traditional seat; if you work for the people, they will elect you. The people want change now. I am connecting with people on the ground, explaining our plans to voters,” he added.

The Worli constituency is set for an intense electoral battle, with former Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora facing off against sitting MLA Aaditya Thackeray of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS’s Sandeep Deshpande.

Raj Thackeray’s MNS, which supported the Mahayuti alliance in the Lok Sabha elections, is contesting independently in the assembly polls.

Earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its second list of 22 candidates for the Maharashtra Assembly polls, scheduled for November 20.

According to the BJP’s list, Ram Bhadane will contest from Dhule Rural, Chainsukh Madanlal Sancheti from Malkapur, Prakash Gunvantrao Bharsakale from Akot, Vijay Kamalkishor Agrawal from Akola West, Shyam Ramcharanji Khode from Washim (SC), Kewalram Tulshiram Kale from Melghat (ST), Milind Ramji Narote from Gadchiroli (ST), Deorao Vithoba Bhongle from Rajura, and Krishnalal Bajirao Sahare from Brahmapuri, among others.

In the first list, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was confirmed to contest from Nagpur South West, while state BJP president Chandrashekhar Krishnarao Bawankule is contesting from Kamthi.

Other key candidates include Minister Girish Mahajan from Jamner, Sudhir Mungantiwar from Ballarpur, Sreejaya Ashok Chavan from Bhokar, Ashish Shelar from Vandre West, Mangal Prabhat Lodha from Malabar Hill, Rahul Narwekar from Colaba, and Chhatrapati Shivendra Raje Bhosale from Satara.

As the polling date nears, both the ruling Mahayuti alliance–comprising the BJP, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP–and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) have ramped up their campaigns.

The Maharashtra Assembly elections are set for November 20, with vote counting for all 288 constituencies scheduled for November 23.

In the 2019 assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena 56, and the Congress 44. In 2014, the BJP secured 122 seats, the Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42.