Dipesh Mhatre Versus Ravindra Chavan From Dombivli
Dipesh Pundlik Mhatre quit the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde‘s Shiv Sena and joined Shiv Sena-led by Uddhav Thackeray on October 5. Along with him, seven corporators from Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) have also joined the Thackeray faction. During the Shiv Sena split in 2022, Mhatre remained with Shinde faction.
In the forthcoming Assembly elections, Mhatre is contesting from the Dombivli assembly constituency. He had worked as a State Youth Sena Secretary and is a former chairman of the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation’s standing committee.
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In the 2014 Assembly elections, Mhatre unsuccessfully contested from the Dombivli constituency. BJP leader Ravindra Chavan won the seat with 83,872 votes, defeating Mhatre with 37,647 votes. Chavan has been representing the seat since past three terms—2009 2014, and 2019.
In the 2019 Assembly election, Chavan won the seat by securing 86,227 votes. He defeated Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) candidate Mandar Shrikant Halbe by a margin of 41,311 votes.
In the Shinde-led Mahayuti government, Chavan handled the Public Works Department as minister. Earlier, he handled the portfolios, including Ports, Medical Education, Information and Technology, Food and Civil supplies, and Consumer protection. He is also a former corporator in the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation.
Dombivli is located in the Kalyan constituency and is part of Thane district, the political turf of CM Shinde. Shinde’s son Shrikant Shinde won from the Kalyan seat in the recently held Lok Sabha polls.
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Kalyan and Dombivli have been undergoing conflict between the Shinde Sena and the BJP for over a year now. “Mhatre was interested in contesting the assembly polls but Chavan being the sitting MLA and minister, meant that the BJP had a claim on this seat within the ruling alliance. As a result, he has chosen to contest with Sena (UBT),” the Indian Express reports, as sources are saying. Will the Mhatre, influential youth leader will oust three-term BJP MLA Chavan from Shinde’s home district is a battle to be looked for.
The 288 Assembly seats in Maharashtra will go to polls on November 20 and counting of votes will take place on November 23.
