Mumbai: The Maharashtra Assembly elections delivered a significant setback to several veteran leaders who, despite their extensive experience and longstanding dominance in key constituencies, struggled to retain their political strongholds. The results reflect shifting voter dynamics and underscore the rising influence of the BJP and Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) in the state’s political landscape.
Balasaheb Thorat, a senior Congress leader who had confidently predicted a clear majority for the Maha Vikas Aghadi, lost from Sangamner constituency in Ahmednagar, from which he had been elected eight times. This was his ninth election, in which he faced defeat. Similarly, senior Congress leader and former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan was defeated in Karad South constituency by BJP’s Atul Bhosale. Chavan had played a significant role in forging the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance.
Former chief minister late Vilasrao Deshmukh’s son Dheeraj Deshmukh lost in the Latur Rural constituency. In the Teosa constituency, BJP’s Rajesh Shriramji Wankhade secured a victory over INC’s Yashomati Thakur by some 7,600 votes. In Muktainagar, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate Rohini Khadse lost, while Amit Thackeray, son of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, contested from the Mahim constituency for the first time but faced defeat.
MNS Leader Amit Thackeray Reacts To The Election Results
Amit Thackeray, in a social media post, reacted to the election results by saying, “I humbly and respectfully accept the verdict given by the people of Mahim, Dadar, and Prabhadevi in the Assembly elections today.”
MNS candidate Bala Nandgaonkar was also defeated in Sewri constituency. The Vasai and Nalasopara region had been a stronghold of Hitendra Thakur’s Bahujan Vikas Aghadi for years. However, in a significant upset, Sneha Dubey-Pandit of the BJP defeated Hitendra Thakur in Vasai, while Rajan Naik of the BJP triumphed over Kshitij Thakur in Nalasopara. These results have shocked the supporters of these prominent leaders, as they were unexpected and significant setbacks.
