People in the Thane constituency face several urban concerns, including stalled infrastructure projects and growing traffic problems brought on by the population and real estate development. It is hardly surprising that campaigns throughout the saffron bastion, preparing for a difficult triangular struggle, have been heavily influenced by the promise of reducing traffic and infrastructure initiatives like the recently announced internal ring road Metro project.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidate, Rajan Vichare, a former two-time MP from the Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS candidate Avinash Jadhav, and incumbent BJP MLA Sanjay Kelkar are the three main contenders in the Thane contest.
In addition to winning a historic third term, Kelkar, who destroyed the Shiv Sena’s hegemonic grip of the Thane constituency in 2014, must ensure the Mahayuti’s victory in the city, CM Eknath Shinde’s stronghold.
After losing the Lok Sabha elections, Vichare views the next election as a prestige fight to retake what was once seen to be the Sena’s original stronghold.
Avinash Jadhav, the president of MNS’ Thane district, is also running against the incumbent’s attempt to hold onto office; a win would increase his party’s influence in the state’s politics. Despite being a relative novice at the time, Jadhav received over 70,000 votes in the 2019 assembly elections, falling 20,000 votes short of incumbent MLA Kelkar.
In the meantime, the urban constituency’s current resources are under threat due to the rapid population growth. Thane residents concurred that the region’s main issues in recent years have been traffic congestion and a lack of proper infrastructure, including roads and walkways.
Water scarcity and the necessity for new dams have also gained attention as a result of the high-rises’ growing reliance on tankers.
Source: The Indian Express
