Maharashtra Assembly elections: In what could be set back for the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made it clear that it will not support Raj Thackeray's son Amit Thackeray in the assembly elections from Mahim. Interestingly, the BJP is supporting Raj Thackeray's party MNS on only one seat which is not the seat of Raj Thackeray's son Amit Thackeray, but the Shivdi assembly seat of Mumbai where MNS leader and Raj Thackeray's close aide Bala Nandgaonkar is contesting from.
Earlier, the BJP had talked about lending support to Mahim seat from where Raj Thackeray's son Amit Thackeray is contesting his first election. However, now BJP has changed its stand.
The Shiv Sena, led by CM Eknath Shinde, has fielded sitting MLA Sada Sarvankar from Mahim, while Mahesh Sawant is the candidate of the Shiv Sena (UBT) headed by former CM Uddhav Thackeray from the seat in Mumbai. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) of Raj Thackeray is not a part of the Mahayuti, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's NCP, but supported the ruling alliance in the Lok Sabha polls held earlier this year.
Ashish Shelar, Mumbai President, BJP said, "I am telling you all through the workers and the media that (BJP's support) is limited to Shivdi assembly seat only. Recently I spoke about Mahim, you spread it about the entire Maharashtra. Now I am speaking only about Shivdi. Don't think this is about the entire Maharashtra"
Amit Thackeray, son of MNS president Raj Thackeray, will make his electoral debut from the Mahim assembly seat in central Mumbai, as per the list of candidates announced by the party for the Maharashtra elections. Amit will be the third person from the extended Thackeray family to contest an election. His father and MNS chief Raj Thackeray has never contested any poll.
Amit's second cousin Aaditya Thackeray — Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray's son — made his debut by winning from neighbouring Worli seat in the 2019 assembly polls. Uddhav Thackeray himself was elected to the legislative council in 2020 after he became Maharashtra chief minister.
