Maharashtra Lok Sabha Election 2024: Who Will Challenge BJP Candidate Piyush Goyal in Mumbai North Constituency?

Mumbai North Constituency has been considered a safe seat for the BJP, deterring many from standing against the Mahayuti and putting Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising the Congress, NCP (SC), and Sena (UBT) in dilemma, over announcing the right candidate. While Mahayuti has announced Piyush Goyal's candidacy, Mahavikas Aghadi remains undecided. 

Mumbai North Constituency has become a focal point of negotiations, passing between political parties in MVA. Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray has offered the Mumbai North seat, along with the Mumbai North Central seat, to the Congress, asserting that the Sena has already announced candidates for four of the six Mumbai seats based on seat-sharing pacts within the MVA alliance. State Congress president Nana Patole confirmed of ongoing alliance talks, however, made no comments over the seat announcement.

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As decisions loom over the Mumbai North constituency, both the Congress and Sena (UBT) are in search of suitable contenders. Sena (UBT) reportedly opted for Vinod Ghosalkar to contest the seat, while Congress is yet to finalize its candidate. However, real estate businessman and Congress member Kalu Budheliya has expressed interest, although his chances remain uncertain. Congress can also approve of candidates, not from the constituency but have popularity. Meanwhile, the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance is undecided on its Mumbai North candidate, primarily due to conflicting interests over the Mumbai South Central seat as both want this seat for themselves desperately. 

Sena (UBT) has proposed Anil Desai for the South Central seat. Varsha Gaikawad is a probable candidate for South Central, with contingency plans for friendly competition. However, concerns linger over potential vote splitting between Bahujan Aghadi and Sena's Anil Desai, possibly benefiting the BJP. Also, the uncertainty stems from the challenge of finding a suitable candidate with grassroots support and popularity. Marathi and non-Marathi middle-class voters play crucial roles in shaping electoral outcomes here, leading the opposition to hesitate about contesting.

Also Read | Maharashtra Lok Sabha Elections 2024: BJP-Shinde Sena and Uddhav Sena's Close Race for Marathi Vote.

Mumbai North has a total of 1,779,849 voters, including 312,223 in Borivali, 268,782 in Dahisar, 291,902 in Magathane, 276,058 in Charkop, and 330,720 in Malad West. Mumbai North, one of the largest Lok Sabha constituencies, spans the western suburbs and rural areas from Goregaon to Dahisar. 

Historically a Congress stronghold, the constituency witnessed a shift in 1989 when BJP stalwart Ram Naik established dominance, marking a turning point in Mumbai's electoral landscape. In the 2019 elections, Congress candidate Urmila Matondkar lost the Mumbai North seat to BJP's Gopal Shetty by a significant margin of 465,247 votes.