NEW DELHI: Zeeshan Siddique, from the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), is trailing behind Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)’s candidate, Varun Satish Sardesai, in the Vandre East Assembly constituency, also known as Bandra East.
As of 1:10 PM, Varun Sardesai is leading with a margin of 5,958 votes. He has garnered significant support, while Zeeshan Siddique trails behind with 26,011 votes.
Varun Sardesai, a first-time candidate and a maternal cousin of Aaditya Thackeray, represents the Shiv Sena (UBT). His candidacy has drawn significant attention due to his family ties and the party’s efforts to reclaim this seat as part of its traditional stronghold.
Zeeshan Siddique, the sitting MLA, won the Vandre East seat in 2019 on a Congress ticket. However, he was expelled from the Congress in August this year and subsequently joined the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). His campaign has been overshadowed by the murder of his father, senior politician Baba Siddique, who was shot dead by gangsters outside his office in October.
The constituency is home to a mix of socio-economic groups, including middle and lower-middle-class strongholds, Muslim-majority areas like Behrampada, and affluent zones such as the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) business district. It also holds symbolic significance for the Shiv Sena (UBT) as the location of the Thackeray family’s residence, Matoshri, in Kalanagar.
Trupti Sawant is also in the fray but is trailing significantly with just 12,746 votes, far behind the two front-runners.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) aims to reclaim the Vandre East seat, which was once part of its bastion. With Sardesai’s strong showing so far, the party appears to be making inroads in this crucial constituency.
The counting process is expected to involve at least 20 rounds in each Assembly segment. Counting votes for the Maharashtra Assembly elections began at 8 AM on Saturday, November 23.