As Maharashtra prepares for upcoming assembly elections, speculation is mounting that Congress may field Priya Dutt as its candidate against BJP's Ashish Shelar in Bandra West. This speculation gained traction following a recent meeting between Congress leaders Varsha Gaikwad, MLA Aslam Shaikh and Priya Dutt.
With the election commission expected to announce dates soon, all major political parties, including BJP and Congress, are ramping up their preparations. The discussions around candidate nominations are intensifying, especially as both the Maha Yuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi alliances aim to present their strongest contenders.
Priya Dutt, daughter of the late actor Sunil Dutt and sister of actor Sanjay Dutt, previously served as a Congress MP from Mumbai North-Central in 2009. However, she faced defeats against BJP's Poonam Mahajan in both 2019 and 2024. While her recent political presence has been limited, her potential return as a candidate has sparked considerable interest.
In the 2024 LS polls, Gaikwad defeated BJP's Ujjwal Nikam from Mumbai North Central. Dutt had campaigned extensively for Gaikwad during the LS polls and had even joined Gaikwad in filing her nomination.
In a parallel development, Union Home Minister Amit Shah met with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and NCP leader Ajit Pawar in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Following the meeting, CM Shinde described the discussions as positive and indicated that a decision regarding seat allocation would be made soon.
As the political landscape heats up, all eyes will be on whether Congress officially announces Priya Dutt as its candidate in the coming days.
Reports suggest that if Dutt contests as an MVA candidate from Bandra, she could present a significant challenge to Shelar. This seat was historically held by Congress until it shifted to BJP in 2014. With an MVA candidate now, the combined votes from Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) could strengthen their position. Bandra (W) is a diverse constituency, featuring Hindu, Muslim and Christian voters.
