Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: 420 Candidates Enter Race in Mumbai After Party Splits, Rising Independents

Maharashtra Assembly elections this year is showing a record 420 candidates competing across 36 constituencies in Mumbai. This is a huge spike from 333 candidates in the last election.

The increase is being marked after divisions within the Shiv Sena and NCP, as well as the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s (MNS) decision to run independently. 

Many candidates from smaller parties and independent backgrounds have also joined the race. They have contributed to a 25% rise in overall participation compared to 2019.

The deadline for withdrawals was Monday, November 4, at which point the final candidate count was confirmed. On the last day, 65 candidates withdrew their nominations, including 12 from the city and 53 from suburban areas. 

Among the high-profile withdrawals was Gopal Shetty, a former BJP MP from Borivli, who initially filed his nomination as an independent after failing to secure a party ticket. His decision to withdraw has cleared the way for a direct contest in Borivli between BJP’s Sanjay Upadhyay and Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Bhosale.

Each constituency has a different number of candidate. Mankhurd and Jogeshwari East have the highest number of contestants, with 22 candidates each, while Mahim, Chembur, and Vile Parle have the lowest with six candidates each. Other constituencies with fewer candidates include Sewri, with seven, and Wadala, Kandivli East, and Charkop, each with nine. 

In Mahim, a triangular battle is making a high-stakes contest between prominent political groups. Raj Thackeray’s MNS, Uddhav Thackeray’s faction, and a Shiv Sena group led by Eknath Shinde are all competing for the seat. MNS candidate Amit Thackeray faces off against Shiv Sena’s Sada Sarvankar, who has Shinde’s backing.