The BJP’s proposal for North-West meets Sena’s demand for Mumbai South

MUMBAI: Rahul Narwekar, the assembly speaker and BJP MLA, may have to postpone his Lok Sabha campaign if the Mahayuti alliance’s proposed agreement to split two Mumbai seats comes to pass. According to sources, the Mahayuti is now contemplating Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora for the Mumbai South seat, which he previously held while serving as a Congress representative.

However, the Mumbai North-West and Thane seats, which are now held by Sena, are very desirable to the BJP.
According to sources, the MNS could get the RS seat now occupied by Deora in return for the party endorsing the Mahayuti.
According to sources, the North-West seat has a sizable population of northern Indians, making it simple for the BJP to win. They said that the BJP is a powerful force in Thane and is demanding the seat.
It is improbable that actor Govinda, who joined the Shiv Sena headed by chief minister Eknath Shinde last week, would run from Mumbai North-West. He is being assigned campaign duties in Vidarbha, where the first round of elections is scheduled for later this month, according to party insiders. Govinda will serve as the Sena’s leading spokesperson in Vidarbha first, and thereafter in other regions of the state.
In Mumbai North-West, the Shinde Sena is actively searching for a Marathi face. Party officials claim that the Sena is in negotiations with two Marathi actors and may take MLA Ravindra Waikar into consideration if they are unable to work with each other. Waikar joined the party last month after leaving the UBT Sena. In Jogeshwari East, the BJP is against Waikar’s candidature. Waikar and Ujwala Modak, a former BJP corporator from the area, have been at odds for years. Workers for the local party have said in a video that they would not back Waikar.
“Shine Sena could provide Mumbai South to a non-Marathi candidate like Deora if they grant North-West to a Marathi candidate. In addition, they could cede Mumbai South to the BJP so that Rahul Narwekar can run for office if they get a strong Marathi candidate. According to a political analyst, the two districts are now connected in terms of candidates and trade.
According to Shinde Sena sources, negotiations with the MNS had not gone as expected, and the party’s head, Bala Nandgaonkar, is not expected to run from Mumbai South but may get an RS nomination in the wake of the Lok Sabha elections. The Shinde Sena has the choice to hand up the seat to the BJP, field Deora, or former corporate executive Yashwant Jadhav.
According to sources, the Mahayuti is facing difficulties in Mumbai South. The Muslim community in Mumbadvi is sizable and is probably going to support Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena. Worli, Naigaum, and Sewri are behind his party. They said that MNS is being included as it would attract Marathi votes.
“Three seats in Mumbai are up for grabs for the Shinde Sena. If they want to offer Mumbai South to Deora, they need to identify Marathi candidates for at least two seats. Rahul Shewale has already been declared the Mumbai South-Central candidate. A Marathi candidate in the North-West is crucial, the observer said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has declared that Ashish Shelar, the head of the Mumbai unit, will run for the Mumbai North-Central seat. However, sources claimed he told the party that he would rather continue in state politics.