Sitting MLA Mangesh Kudalkar Vs Praveena Morajkar: Two Senas Confront In Kurla
Kurla assembly constituency in Maharashtra is one among many impacted by the change in political dynamics, including the splits in Shiv Sena and NCP. The undivided Shiv Sena candidate Mangesh Kudalkar emerged victorious both the 2014 and 19 assembly elections after capturing it from NCP’s Milind Kamble.
Kudalkar is now testing his electoral luck under the Shinde Sena faction for the upcoming assembly elections scheduled for November 20. As Kudalkar is aiming for a hattrick from his sitting seat, the rival Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray has nominated Praveena Morajkar, a former councillor in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation.
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During the 2019 assembly elections, Kudalkar won from Kurla by a margin of 30,845 votes, while NCP’s Milind (anna) Bhupal Kamble became the runner-up.
The candidature of Praveena has created discord in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, with some local politicians suggesting they would not support her candidacy. Kurla has a diverse demographic, including over 30 percent Muslims and 13 percent scheduled caste voters. During the recent Lok Sabha elections, the assembly segment overwhelmingly voted for the MVA candidate, giving hopes for the opposition Shiv Sena candidate.
Notably, the Sambhaji Brigade had recently accused Kudalkar of misusing the Atrocities Act by filing false cases against members of the Maratha community. The Brigade had also asked Thakarey to reconsider its candidate.
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The constituency and its developments are crucial given its importance as a connecting region with eastern Mumbai suburbs. Though Kurla witnesses an inflex of people from all directions, making the city crowded, the traffic congestions due to the crowded and narrow roads are yet to be resolved.
As Kudalkar is seeking re-election for the third term, it is hard to predict the mandate in Kurla, especially given the challenge posed by the rival Sena candidate though there are discords existing.
