Shinde Sena’s Sada Sarvankar moves high court seeking ouster of current MLA; in the 2024 state Assembly elections, Mahesh Baliram Sawant won the Mahim seat by securing 50,213 votes, while Sarvankar finished second with 48,897 votes
Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena’s Sada Sarvankar ; (right) Mahesh Sawant of Shiv Sena (UBT). File Pics/Ashish Raje
The dispute over the candidature for the Mahim Assembly segment appears to be a never-ending affair, continuing to intensify even months after the elections. This time, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) leader Sada Sarvankar has moved the Bombay High Court, filing an election petition challenging the candidature of Mahesh Sawant of Shiv Sena (UBT).
In the 2024 state Assembly elections, Mahesh Baliram Sawant won the Mahim seat by securing 50,213 votes, while Sarvankar finished second with 48,897 votes. Months later, Sarvankar has now alleged that Sawant failed to disclose at least four to five criminal cases against him in his election affidavit—an omission he argues is sufficient grounds for disqualification and the nullification of the 2024 Mahim Assembly election results.
Speaking with mid-day, Sada Sarvankar's son, Samadhan confirmed the development, stating, “We have moved the court, and this is pertaining to the affidavit. He (Sawant) has hidden criminal cases against him and has not mentioned them in his election affidavit. As per Election Commission rules, candidates must disclose all criminal cases against them in their affidavits. He has hidden at least four to five such cases, violating Election Commission guidelines and misleading the public. This makes a huge difference, especially when the vote margins are small.”
Advocate Sagar Gogre, representing Sarvankar, also confirmed the petition saying, “Yes, this concerns Sawant's affidavit. As per legal procedure, all candidates who contested the elections have been made a party to the case.” The matter is scheduled for a court hearing on February 28.
Seat marred by dispute
Sarvankar’s candidacy in Mahim had already sparked political drama on the final day of nomination withdrawals, particularly over Amit Thackeray's potential candidacy. BJP Mumbai President Ashish Shelar had initially proposed that the Mahayuti alliance support Amit’s electoral debut in the Marathi-majority Mahim constituency, arguing that it would “send a positive message to the people of Maharashtra”. However, he clarified that this was not meant to oppose Sarvankar’s campaign.
Despite this, BJP leaders and some members of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena continued to push for Amit’s candidacy, citing Raj Thackeray’s recent support for the Mahayuti during the Lok Sabha elections. On the last day of withdrawals, just 30 minutes before the deadline, Sarvankar announced his intention to meet Raj Thackeray to discuss his decision. However, he later claimed that Raj declined to meet him, leaving him with no choice but to remain in the race. His decision to contest against Amit deepened divisions within the alliance, despite last-minute appeals from both BJP and Shiv Sena leaders.
Ultimately, the Mahim Assembly seat became a high-stakes triangular contest—Shiv Sena vs Shiv Sena vs MNS. Amid the infighting among supposed allies, Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Mahesh Sawant gained the advantage and secured victory by a margin of 1,316 votes. When contacted, Mahesh Sawant, MLA, Mahim Assembly constituency, said, “Yes, I have received some notice… I will look into it.”
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