Nawab Malik Vs Abu Azmi Vote Split In Shivajinagar Likely To Benefit Shinde Sena's Suresh Patil

The campaigning for the assembly elections is currently in its final stages. The election for the Shivajinagar-Mankhurd constituency in Mumbai has been a hot topic of discussion.

This year, the Mahayuti has made strong preparations against four-time MLA Abu Azmi of the Samajwadi Party. From the Mahayuti, Suresh Patil from the Shiv Sena Shinde group will be contesting against Azmi.

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Suresh Patil and Abu Azmi had previously contested against each other in 2014. However, at that time, Azmi won with a narrow margin of 10,000 votes, largely backed by over 50% Muslim votes. But now, the situation is quite different. This time, three prominent Muslim candidates are contesting in the constituency, which has increased the chances of Suresh Patil from the Shiv Sena Shinde group.

How the Fight Will Unfold in Shivajinagar

In this constituency, incumbent MLA Abu Azmi has filed his nomination from the Samajwadi Party. He is also being contested by Ajit Pawar's faction of the NCP, with Abu Azmi facing off against them. Additionally, Atik Ahmed Khan from the MIM is also in the fray. Against these three prominent Muslim candidates, the Mahayuti has fielded Suresh Patil from the Shiv Sena Shinde group. Political analysts suggest that the division of Muslim votes might benefit the Shiv Sena candidate.

Growing Discontent Against Abu Azmi

The key issues in the Shivajinagar-Mankhurd constituency include rising crime, the spread of narcotics in the area, pollution from the biomedical waste project, inadequate educational facilities, and poor medical infrastructure. Despite being elected four times, incumbent MLA Abu Azmi has not been able to resolve these pressing issues. Voters have expressed disappointment that Azmi has done little for the constituency. The growing drug trade has created an atmosphere of fear among ordinary citizens. As discontent against Azmi grew, Muslim voters proposed Nawab Malik's name as a potential candidate. Moreover, MIM also rallied against the incumbent MLA, supporting Atik Ahmed Khan.

Mahayuti's Development Work

While there is discontent against the incumbent Samajwadi Party MLA, Mahayuti has focused on significant development work in the constituency over the past five years. The development projects carried out by the Mahayuti government have attracted considerable voter attention. Programs like the Ladki Bhago Yojana and other schemes for women have been effectively implemented in this constituency, creating a positive atmosphere among Muslim women voters towards the Mahayuti. Given the division of Muslim votes due to three candidates, the development work by Mahayuti, and the presence of Suresh Patil as a prominent candidate, there are growing expectations that the Shiv Sena Shinde group will win in this constituency.