Battle for Chandivali: Absence of VBA and AIMIM candidates marks a shift from 2019 polls

Mumbai: Five years ago, Chandivali was one of Maharashtra’s 34 assembly constituencies where the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), led by Prakash Ambedkar, and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) disrupted the political landscape. Their influence chipped away at Congress and its ally, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), narrowly costing them the seat. This election, however, VBA and AIMIM are absent, though the Shiv Sena’s incumbent MLA, Dilip Lande, faces a namesake candidate and a challenger from Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), once a Mahayuti ally.
2019 poll recap
In 2019, Shiv Sena’s Lande won Chandivali by a slim margin of 409 votes, relegating Congress leader Mohammed Arif (Naseem) Khan, the working president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, to second place. For the upcoming election, there were two VBA nominees, Dadarao Tukaram Nikam and Muinnuddin Yaar Mohammed Khan, though both have since been disqualified. MNS remains the only consistent competitor across both polls.
Reflecting on his 2019 loss, Khan said, “As deputy opposition leader, I was focused on state-wide tours, which affected my ability to concentrate on my constituency.” He pledged that, if elected, his focus would shift to resolving local issues like Chandivali’s irregular water supply.
Key civic issues
Local residents have high expectations for improved governance. “Traffic congestion, air pollution from concrete plants, and unfulfilled infrastructure needs—such as a major fire station—are pressing concerns,” stated Mandeep Singh Makkar, founder of the Chandivali Citizens Welfare Association.
One urgent issue for residents is drug availability, which has permeated all corners of Chandivali, from Powai high-rises to Asalpha slum areas. Local psychiatrists and community leaders have raised alarm over the implications for public safety. Shiv Sena’s Lande acknowledged the problem, admitting, “We still have much to do on this front, as the drug issue is tied to rising crime rates.” Lande cited successes like a new 200-bed public hospital and efforts to arrange transport for blue-collar workers.
In his conversation with Hindustan Times, Lande highlighted plans for the relocation of 10,092 families living on the Mithi River’s banks, with new housing projects underway in Kohinoor City. He also mentioned ongoing efforts to address unauthorised parking, which has compounded traffic issues for two decades. Khan shared his solution: “I will propose creating basement parking under garden plots, preserving open spaces while meeting parking needs.”
Shared vision
Both candidates agree on the need to decongest the Saki Naka-Asalpha belt, which will ease traffic along the Andheri-Ghatkopar Link Road and address airport-adjacent encroachments that involve the Airport Authority of India and the conglomerate managing the facility.
Mahendra Bhanushali, MNS candidate from the area, however, slammed both Sena and Congress leaders for paying lip service. “Both the candidates have been raising the same set of issues. One has been talking about them for 20 years, the other for the last 5 years. These are traffic congestion, water supply issues, air pollution, slum rehabilitation, etc.”