As Maharashtra gears up for the election battle, it's heart Mumbai which accounts for 36 seats is no behind. Immense discussions have taken place for distribution of seats and selection of candidates especially for Mumbai. Every party in their respective alliance have done their permutations and combinations to bottom down on candidates but the selection of candidate for Kurla Constituency by Sena (UBT) is turning out to be headache for them.
After Shiv Sena (UBT) announced its first list, it was revealed that former corporator Praveena Morajkar, who faced heavy opposition, was given a ticket from Kurla. This has led to both the Maratha and Muslim communities, as well as party workers and leaders from within, distancing themselves from the Thackeray faction in Kurla. Moreover, the local cadre expected the candidature of Ashwin Malik Meshram who had strong support from the Maratha and Muslim communities, but now, with the announcement of Praveena Morajkar, the electoral battle in Kurla has become difficult one for Sena(UBT)
Ashwin Malik Meshram has substantial support from the Maratha and Muslim communities in the Kurla constituency, Praveena Morajkar, who faces strong opposition from both communities, has been given a candidacy, which seems to have backfired on the Shiv Sena (UBT) party and local cadre is also upset with her announcement.
Following Ashwin Malik Meshram's strong claim to the ticket, Dr. Jyotsna Jadhav was also interested in contesting from the Kurla constituency. Additionally, Milind Anna Kamble from Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had also made efforts to secure a ticket but in MVA alliance the seat went to Sena(UBT) and they decided to field Praveena Morajkar.
Sources from Sena (UBT) have revealed that even though senior Shiv Sena leaders supported Ashwin Malik Meshram's candidacy, confusion during the ticket distribution and the insistence of one or two leaders led to the ticket being awarded to Praveena Morajkar, causing displeasure among the senior leaders and creating significant discontent within the Maratha and Muslim communities in the constituency which holds a significant vote bank.
Kurla Constituency is one of the key constituency from Mumbai which will witness Sena Vs Sena battle, as the sitting MLA Mangesh Kudalkar who supported CM Eknath Shinde at the time of rebellion is once again fielded by Shinde's Shiv Sena. When asked about the challenge posed by Morajkar, Mangesh Kudalkar from the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena said, "It is well-known that during her tenure as a corporator, she filed cases against her own party members, and these people won't rest until they teach her a lesson." He added that the victory will belong to Shiv Sena since Morajkar lacks competent leadership.
The crucial Kurla Constituency which will witness Sena Vs Sena battle will see a one side fight as the local cadre seems upset with Morajkar's candidature.
It has been noticed that Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena had previously announced candidacies not with a focus on victory but due to the whims of a few leaders. This has had consequences for the Shiv Sena UBT faction in every election, and the same scenario seems to be unfolding in the Kurla Assembly constituency giving edge to the Shinde's Shiv Sena.