Shiv Sena Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Sadanand Sarvankar, who is seeking a re-election from Mumbai's Mahim Assembly seat, stated on Thursday that he will not withdraw from the race, despite his party ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), showing support for his rival, Amit Thackeray, the son of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray. "There is no question of my withdrawing from the race," Sarvankar told PTI.

Sources within the Shiv Sena, a key member of the ruling Mahayuti bloc alongside the BJP, indicated that the party favours backing Thackeray, who is making his electoral debut, but not at the expense of Sarvankar. Although MNS is not part of the Mahayuti alliance, Raj's party supported the ruling coalition in Maharashtra during this year's Lok Sabha elections.