Shiv Sena Uddhav Thackeray candidate Anil Desai won by a margin of 53 thousand 384 votes in the South-Central Mumbai Lok Sabha constituency. He defeated Rahul Shewale of the Shinde faction. The contest on this seat was like Shiv Sena vs Shiv Sena. Desai will represent the constituency stretching from Prabhadevi to Trombay. These include Dadar, the birthplace of Shiv Sena, and Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum. Anil Desai is known as a confidant of Uddhav Thackeray. When Eknath Shinde rebelled in Shiv Sena in 2022, Rahul Shewale went with him. Anil Desai defeated him and gave a big blow to the Shinde faction.
Rahul Shewale defeated Eknath Gaikwad in the 2014 and 2019 elections. It was being speculated that Rahul Shewale, a two-time MP, would easily win this seat in this year’s elections. But after the split in Shiv Sena, Marathi voters were considered a very important factor. People’s sympathy for Uddhav Thackeray was clearly visible during the election campaign. Political analysts say that Anil Desai has benefited from this.
Who is Anil Desai?
Anil Desai’s name is taken as a close aide and confidant of Uddhav Thackeray. He first came in contact with Bala Saheb Thackeray in 1997. Then in 2002 he was appointed as the secretary in the executive committee of Shiv Sena. Since then he performed many responsibilities assigned by the party. Desai was a member of the Rajya Sabha for the last two terms. But this was his first time contesting elections to the Lok Sabha.
Anil Desai’s expertise lies in the strategic work and administrative management of the party. He played a key role in the legal battle between the two factions of Shiv Sena. He collaborated with Anil Parab and a team of lawyers to argue before the Supreme Court. Desai’s colleagues in the Shiv Sena describe him as a listener, calm and polite.
