Pune: Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde Triumphs Over Thackeray Group’s Vaishali Darekar in Kalyan
Kalyan, 4th June 2024: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s son and Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde has secured victory in the Kalyan-Dombivali Lok Sabha constituency for the third consecutive term, further solidifying his influence in Kalyan by defeating Vaishali Darekar from the Shiv Sena (UBT) by a margin of over two lakh votes. By the conclusion of the vote counting, Shrikant Shinde had amassed a lead of 2,40,000 votes.
The Kalyan Lok Sabha constituency garnered national attention due to the high-stakes contest between Shinde’s Shiv Sena and the Thackeray group. Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena entrusted leadership to women, pitting them against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s protégé, Shrikant Shinde.
There was a delay in announcing Shrikant Shinde’s candidacy from Mahayuti, reportedly due to opposition from BJP leaders. In anticipation of a strong candidate from Shiv Sena against the Chief Minister’s son, MP Shrikant, the Thackeray group fielded Vaishali Darekar, a newcomer.
Despite challenges such as insufficient development works, internal disputes within the Mahayuti, and opposition from Kalwa-Mumbra, Shrikant Shinde’s victory was anticipated. His landslide win indicates a shift in the political landscape.
In the 2019 Kalyan Lok Sabha Election, Shiv Sena candidate Shrikant Shinde secured victory for the second consecutive time, obtaining 5,59,723 votes, while NCP candidate Babaji Patil received 2,15,380 votes. Additionally, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi candidate Sanjay Heydau secured 65,572 votes.
