India
In Navi Mumbai, the political battle for dominance between BJP leader Ganesh Naik, his son Sandeep Naik, and the parties they now represent has intensified ahead of the 2024 state elections. The Naik family, once a dominant force in the region, is seeking to reclaim its stronghold in the Airoli and Belapur assembly constituencies. The family had previously enjoyed unrivalled control, with Ganesh Naik and Sandeep Naik winning the Belapur and Airoli seats as NCP candidates. Ganesh’s elder son, Sanjeev Naik, was also a Lok Sabha member from Thane, and his nephew Sagar Naik had served as the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation mayor.
However, with the rise of the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, the Naik family’s political fortunes took a hit. Ganesh Naik lost the Belapur seat to BJP’s Manda Mhatre, while Sanjeev Naik was defeated by Shiv Sena’s Rajan Vichare in the Lok Sabha elections. Sandeep Naik was the only one to retain his Airoli seat. Ahead of the 2019 elections, the Naiks shifted their allegiance to the BJP, with Ganesh Naik securing the Airoli assembly seat after stepping aside from Belapur, which was then taken over by BJP’s Mhatre.
In a dramatic twist for the 2024 elections, Sandeep Naik has left his post as Navi Mumbai BJP chief and rejoined the NCP to challenge Mhatre in Airoli. The Naik family aims to regain control of the region, especially as Navi Mumbai is witnessing significant development, including the construction of a new international airport and a large township in the vicinity.
BJP’s Manda Mhatre, however, remains confident of her victory. “The father-son duo is planning to regain their hold on Navi Mumbai, but people are aware. They are circulating fake videos and calling me aggressive. I am zero if I am not aggressive. My aggression is against the wrong things,” Mhatre stated.
The rivalry with the Shiv Sena, a key player in the region, is also at play, with Eknath Shinde-led party candidates Vijay Chougule and Vijay Nahata contesting as independents in Airoli and Belapur, respectively. Nahata, a retired bureaucrat-turned-politician, dismissed the Naik family’s influence, stating, “There is a misconception that the Naiks have a hold in Navi Mumbai. They have been defeated in the past.”
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) has fielded M K Madhavi against Ganesh Naik in Airoli, accusing the Naik family of political opportunism. “The Naik family has ruled this city for the last 35 years but has done nothing for bhoomiputras. They have just changed parties frequently for power,” Madhavi asserted.
Sandeep Naik, however, defended his move, stating that his primary goal is the city’s development and employment generation. “The sitting MLA has not done anything in the past ten years, so there is a vacuum now. I have switched sides because what I was promised was not fulfilled,” he said.
Ganesh Naik, on the other hand, remains confident of his victory, with BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis rallying behind him. “Ganesh Naik will register a massive victory in the November 20 elections,” Fadnavis declared, while also taking a jab at Sandeep Naik’s return to the NCP, hinting that rebel candidates in Belapur would soon realize their true standing in the region. The election results will be announced on November 23.
English
Gujarati
Hindi
Kannada
Malayalam
Marathi
Punjabi
Tamil
Telugu
