While, in 2014 and 2019, the BJP-undivided Shiv Sena swept the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls in Mumbai, the 2024 general elections have changed the situation. Three contests in Mumbai - Worli, Mahim and Bandra East - involve members of the Thackeray family. In Worli, Uddhav’s son Aaditya, who is the sitting MLA, is taking on Murli Deora’s son sitting Rajya Sabha member Milind Deora, who has been fielded by Shiv Sena and Sandeep Deshpande, who is a close aide of Raj.
Incidentally, late Murli Deora, who was close to Gandhi-family , enjoyed very good relations with the late Balasaheb Thackeray. From Mahim, Raj’s son Amit is making a debut and he is pitted against three-time sitting Shiv Sena MLA Sada Sarvankar and Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Mahesh Sawant. The BJP leadership wanted Sarvankar to withdraw in favour of Amit to reciprocate Raj’s decision to extend support to the MahaYuti during the Lok Sabha polls, however, Shinde seems to have ignored it.
In Bandra West, Aaditya’s cousin Varun Sardesai is contesting from Shiv Sena (UBT) and he is taking on NCP’s Zeeshan Siddiqui while MNS has fielded former MLA Trupti Sawant. Zeeshan’s father Baba Siddique was shot dead last month. Varun is the son of Aditya’s mother Rashmi Thackeray.
From Bandra West, Mumbai BJP President Ashish Shelar is contesting against Asif Zakaria of the Congress. On the other hand, Shelar’s brother Vinod Shelar has been fielded from Malad West against sitting MLA and former minister Aslam Shaik.