KONKAN SEES POLL BATTLE BETWEEN TWO SENAS

Konkan prepares for a pivotal election as rival Shiv Sena factions clash, impacting Maharashtra's political future.

- TIKAM SHARMA

The Konkan region of Maharashtra is gearing up for an intense political battle in the upcoming state Assembly elections, scheduled for a single phase on November 20, 2024. As the nomination period closed on October 29, the coastal belt readies itself for a high-stakes election across 75 seats. The region will see a fierce contest between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), with particular attention on the internal rift within the Shiv Sena, now divided into factions led by Maharashtra's Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

The outcome in this critical region is likely to shape Maharashtra's political landscape for the next five years.

The Konkan region, comprising the districts of Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Palghar, Raigad, and Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, was historically a stronghold for the undivided Shiv Sena. Despite its diverse population, the region-including the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) remained a bastion for Shiv Sena, largely due to the support of locals who moved to Mumbai. Once dominated by Congress, the region gradually shifted toward the Shiv Sena, as Bal Thackeray's influence and policies won him widespread popularity, securing Shiv Sena's dominance. In the 2019 elections, the unified Shiv Sena secured 29 seats and its then ally BJP claimed 27 seats, giving their alliance a stronghold of 56 out of 75 seats, while keeping Congress and NCP under 15 seats.