Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray.
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: From chawls to sky-scrappers to a cosmopolitan mix, Worli in a way represents what is often described as the spirit of Mumbai.
The Bandra-Worli Sea Link and the Coastal Road represents the hustle-bustle of Mumbai while the BDD Chawls represents what was earlier Mumbai.
In Maharashtra, the electoral contest in Worli, which is a triangular fight, is being keenly-watched.
Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray’s son Aaditya Thackeray, who is the sitting MLA, faces two big challengers -- late Murli Deora’s son Milind Deora, who is a Rajya Sabha member of Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Sandeep Deshpande, who is a close aide of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena founder Sandeep Deshpande.
The Worli seat comes from Mumbai South, which is currently represented by Arvind Sawant of Shiv Sena (UBT).
"Worli is part of Girangaon, the original mill area of Mumbai. It is completely cosmopolitan, you will find all social strata and groups who have settled here," said veteran political analyst Prakash Akolkar. “This is one of those original settlements of Mumbai. Politically also, this place has its own importance,” added Akolkar.
Aditya is the great-grandson of late social reformer Prabhodhankar Thackeray, one of the pillars of Samyukta Maharashtra movement and grandson of Balasaheb Thackeray, who founded the Shiv Sena in 1966.
The Assembly constituency covers Worli Koliwada, Worli Naka, Adarsh Nagar, Mahalaxmi Racecourse, BDD Chawls, Century Bazaar, Haji Ali junction and Lower Parel. “People here have traditionally supported Balasaheb,” he said.
“Aaditya is a sitting MLA and has been working a lot in the area for the past five years. Milind has jumped into the fray at a time when he is already a Rajya Sabha member. On the other hand, Sandeep too faces challenges. Aditya surely has an edge,” said Dinesh Sadh, a south Mumbai resident and businessman.
"Worli symbolises the Marathi heartland," says Jatin Desai, a veteran activist, writer and journalist. “In the area, Aaditya surely has some advantage over the other candidates. In the past seven to eight years, there has been a massive transformation of Aaditya in the political sphere,” he added.
Deora, a former union minister, who has come from Congress to join Shiv Sena is the closest aide of Shinde and when the Chief Minister visited Davos, he accompanied him. “There is anti-incumbency in Worli. People want a change,” said Deora.
Worli: A Sena bastion
In 1990, 1995, 1999 and 2004, it was represented by Dattaji Nalawade, who was also the Speaker of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from 1995-99.
In 2009, NCP's Sachin Ahir won the seat, who is now with the Shiv Sena.
In 2014, Sena's Sunil Shinde defeated Sachin Ahir, the latter is now a Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC. In 2019, Aaditya Thackeray made his election debut from Worli.
Snapshot Worli
Worli was originally a fisherfolk settlement. It was part of the seven islands of Bombay. It is the address of many top celebrities and the who's who of Mumbai.
The Bandra-Worli Sea Link can be seen from the Worli seaface. The Mahalaxmi Race Course, the meeting place of Mumbai's elite is located here. Architectural landmarks like Nehru Centre and Nehru Planetarium are also situated in Worli.
Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
Subscribe and follow DH on Whatsapp, X, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram to never miss out on anything.