Thackeray's son Tejas arrives at the public meeting. Sardesai is a close aide of Tejas's elder brother Aaditya, who is the sitting legislator from Worli

Legislative Council Member Anil Parab addresses the public rally  

Thackeray arrives at the rally 

Thackeray takes blessings of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj ahead of the rally

Thackeray was the CM of Maharashtra from 2019 to 2022 till his government fell following a split in the party 

The Vandre East (Bandra East) constituency, home to the commercial hub Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and the Thackeray residence Matoshree, is set to witness a high-stakes electoral battle

The traditional Shiv Sena stronghold will see Sardesai, a trusted aide of Aaditya, face off against NCP (Ajit Pawar) candidate and sitting MLA Zeeshan Siddique

This is not merely a fierce contest for the candidates; it is also a significant test for the Thackeray family and the Shiv Sena (UBT)

The opposing side, however, faces its own trials: Zeeshan’s father, former state minister Baba Siddique, was recently murdered near the former’s office

Having recently joined the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), this election will serve as a litmus test for the young legislator

In the 2019 election, Siddique won this seat by defeating Vishwanath Mahadeshwar of the undivided Shiv Sena, a former mayor of Mumbai

The Thackeray camp views the seat as prestigious

A young UBT supporter at the rally

Historically, it was won by the undivided Shiv Sena in 2009 and 2014, but they lost it in 2019 when Zeeshan secured victory on a Congress ticket. Zeeshan was given a ticket from NCP recently