Mumbai : Seventy-eight newly elected representatives will join the 288-member Maharashtra assembly, marking about 27 per cent of its total strength. Of the first-time winners, 33 belong to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 14 are from the Shiv Sena, and eight represent the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Ten newcomers are from the Shiv Sena (UBT), six from the Congress, and four from the NCP (SP). There are also two debutants from smaller parties, along with one independent.
Notably, first-time MLAs secured nine of Mumbai’s 36 seats in the recent elections. Among the debutants are Mahesh Sawant of Shiv Sena (UBT), who triumphed in Mahim, defeating MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s son Amit Thackeray and incumbent Shiv Sena MLA Sada Sarvankar. Other first-time winners include Varun Desai of Sena (UBT) in Vandre East and Manoj Jamsutkar in Byculla.
From the BJP, Sanjay Upadhyay won from Borivali, and Murji Patel claimed the Andheri East seat after contesting on a Shiv Sena ticket. NCP’s Sana Malik triumphed in Anushaktinagar, while Congress’ Jyoti Gaikwad won from Dharavi.
Shreejaya Chavan, daughter of former Congress CM Ashok Chavan, also marked her debut, winning from Bhokar on a BJP ticket. Additionally, Vikram Pachpute, son of former NCP minister Babanrao Pachpute, secured a win from Shrigonda as a BJP candidate.
BJP’s Atul Bhosale will make his debut in the assembly after defeating former CM Prithviraj Chavan in Karad South. Devendra Fadnavis’s personal assistant, Sumit Wankhede, will also enter the legislature after winning from Arvi.
The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance won a landslide in the November 20 state elections, securing 230 of the 288 seats. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (SP) faced a significant defeat, winning only 16, 20, and 10 seats, respectively.
