Shiv Sena (UBT) has decided to contest 25 out of 36 Assembly seats in Mumbai. In the 2019 Assembly election, the undivided Shiv Sena contested 19 constituencies and won 14. On Wednesday, UBT party chief Uddhav Thackeray held a meeting with the party’s senior leaders. During the meeting, they discussed the Assembly elections and the current situation in each constituency. The party decided to contest 25 Assembly seats in the city.
Former Mayor and spokesperson of UBT, Kishori Pednekar, confirmed the development. “In this election, women and youth will get more opportunities,” Pednekar said.
“At the recent Lok Sabha election, we received huge support from voters in the city. We are now ready to contest 25 seats,” she added.
In the recent Lok Sabha election, UBT won three out of the four seats it contested.
Meanwhile, sources claim that UBT will win the Bandra East constituency, currently held by Congressman Zeeshan Siddique, who won in the 2019 election. UBT has decided to contest seven out of 10 Assembly seats in Mumbai city. In the eastern suburbs, UBT will contest six out of 10 seats. In the western suburbs, UBT decided to contest 12 out of 17 seats.
The Mumbai Congress has also prepared a list of constituencies where the party can contest the Assembly election. According to sources, the party has decided to contest 16 to 17 Assembly seats in Mumbai. In the 2019 election, Congress contested 14 seats and managed to win in four constituencies.
36
Total number of Assembly seats in Mumbai
Thackeray Sena allowed to accept donations
THE Election Commission of India has allowed Shiv Sena (UBT) to accept any amount of contribution voluntarily offered to it by any person or company other than a government company.
The Sena had requested the ECI early this month to issue a communication/certificate recording the purpose of being able to accept voluntary contributions. The interim approval came on Thursday. On July 8, the commission had issued a similar order for the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar). In the case of Sena, the order came within days, while it took NCP over three months to get it.
The ECI has authorised Sena (UBT) on an interim basis to accept donations. “This authorisation is during the currency of and contingent upon the final order of the Supreme Court in Case no. SLP (C) 3997 of 2023,” the order said, adding that the party will have to submit to the commission a report of contribution received in excess of Rs 20,000 in a financial year.
