The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated Sulbha Gaikwad, wife of three-time MLA Ganpat Gaikwad, for the Kalyan East constituency in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. This sets up a high-stakes contest in the 2024 election. Ganpat Gaikwad, who won as an independent in 2009 and 2014, is currently in jail. He is accused of attempting to kill Mahesh Gaikwad.
Mahesh Gaikwad is a former Kalyan unit president of Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena. This year, he is also contesting as an Independent. He had hoped for a party ticket but was suspended after withdrawing his nomination and opposing the alliance.
Dhananjay Bodare is the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate. He was the runner-up in the 2019 elections against Ganpat Gaikwad. The Shiv Sena (UBT) believes Sulbha’s candidacy might lead to a vote split within Eknath Shinde’s faction, which could improve their chances. However, Bodare’s recent nomination has upset some party activists, as he joined the party only a few months ago.
Sulbha Gaikwad has received the backing of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his faction. Shrikant Shinde directed all local BJP and Shinde Sena workers to respect the alliance and support Sulbha.
The Kalyan East constituency has a diverse demographic. The majority population belongs to the Maratha community, followed by Agri, Dalit, Muslim, South Indian, and North Indian groups. The Agri community includes three of the four leading candidates: Sulbha Gaikwad, Mahesh Gaikwad, and Vishal Pavashe. This could lead to a split in the community’s votes.
Mahesh Gaikwad has accused the ticket distribution process of being unfair. He has the support of 19 former corporators who rejected Sulbha’s nomination. Local corporators and workers in the Shinde Sena have distanced themselves from Mahesh after his suspension from the party. Despite this, Mahesh continues to have backing from certain leaders and voters.
Kalyan East also has slum areas and densely populated neighborhoods with Marathi and North Indian residents. The constituency faces several issues. These include narrow roads, inadequate health centers, poor public schools, lack of open spaces, and rising pollution.
It also faces drug-related problems, poor drainage, waste management issues, and increasing crime rates, which also concern residents. Recent building projects have worsened air quality in the area.
As of October 10, 2024, the constituency has 324,659 registered voters, with 170,188 men, 154,065 women, and 406 others. In the 2019 elections, voter turnout was 44.10 percent.
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