The Shiv Sena headquarters stands in Dadar in central Mumbai. The iconic Shivaji Park which has shaped the destinies of many cricketers and politicians is few hundred metres away. For a majority of the past four decades, the Marathi-dominant area which forms a part of Mahim assembly constituency, has stood by Shiv Sena.

This time, however, local residents have a hard choice to make. The constituency will see a three-way fight between Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and two warring Shiv Senas.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray has taken a bold step by fielding his son Amit to wrest back the seat it last won in 2009. While Amit is a debutant, he is pitted against three-time Shiv Sena MLA Sada Sarvankar and Shiv Sena (UBT’s) Mahesh Sawant.

While voters will choose between consistency and change, a narrative shaping up in the area is that since this is a contest between a scion of a political family and karyakarta-turned leaders - the latter will remain more accessible to their voters.

Amit is promising that he will be available for the residents round the clock brushing aside criticism that he will be out of bounds to his voters. A contact number will be shared with all housing colonies for direct access and lok adalats will be held every week to solve grievances, Amit has said in his election brochure

“People of Mahim want change and in Amit they see a reassuring leader. In the past ten years the local MLA Sarvankar has not been able to solve any of the major problems impacting Mahim and on the contrary they have worsened. Has he (Sarvankar) implemented even one out of the box idea,” asks Yashwant Killedar, MNS’s divisional president.

In 2019 MNS lost to Sarvankar by around 19,000 votes. The victory margin in 2019 was higher than 2014 when Sena and BJP had contested independently. This time MNS is banking on anti- incumbency factor and division of votes to sail through.

Prior to filing of nomination forms this assembly seat had witnessed high drama and this could still play out in the election outcome. A section of BJP leaders including Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar suggested that the MahaYuti support Amit Thackeray in return for MNS’s unconditional support to Narendra Modi during Lok Sabha polls. But Sarvankar refused to back down.

“There was anger among my supporters when I was asked to withdraw from the race. This has galvanised them,” Sarvankar said. He claims that BJP workers are supporting him as a MahaYuti candidate. In the Lok Sabha polls, Mahim assembly gave MahaYuti around 14,000 vote lead and this an assuring fact too, he said.

Sarvankar says there will be no anti-incumbency as he has carried out several works in the area through his MLA funds. “Only good oratory will not suffice. A candidate has to work on ground too,” Sarvankar says taking a dig at Raj Thackeray.

While predominantly Marathi-speaking, Mahim’s 2.25 lakh voters comprise Muslims, Christians, Gujaratis, Jains and others. High rises and chawls nestle side by side in the constituency known for its flower market and fisherfolk colony

While MNS is relying on its traditional Marathi votes, both the Senas are actively wooing other communities as well.

On Saturday afternoon, Sawant dropped by a gurudwara in Mahim and interacted with community members. Sawant has twice unsuccessfully contested municipal corporation elections and the assembly polls is his big test. Sawant is banking on his common man image and voter connect for success. “There is confusion among BJP voters and that will help us. Our votes are intact,” Sawant said.

Aditya Thackeray who campaigned for Sawant on Friday urged voters not to see this as a battle between two families. Aditya also avoided personal criticism or reference to his cousin but instead chose to target MNS for backing BJP. “MNS gave unconditional support to Narendra Modi during Lok Sabha elections and now under Modiji industries are shifting from Maharashtra to Gujarat. Does MNS support this?” he asked.

“We have been fighting for the rights of Maharashtra for the past two years. Where was MNS during Covid-19 pandemic or even after that? What work did it do? Now MNS has entered the fray and is campaigning against us to bring us down,” Aditya said.

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