Bhiwandi West, Maharashtra Elections 2024: Will BJP's Mahesh Chougule Retain Seat, AIMIM's Waris Pathan Gives Tough Fight

Mumbai: Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024 is just around the corner and all eyes are on the big fight between the ruling Mahayuti, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena) along with Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis (BJP), Ajit Pawar (NCP); and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) led by Sharad Pawar (NCP-SP), Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena-UBT) and Nana Patole (Congress).

This will be the second direct fight between the Mahayuti and MVA after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Ruling in the capital city, Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) is what any political party wants. Constituencies like Thane, Kalyan, Dombivali, Mumbra, Bhiwandi and Navi Mumbai play a crucial role.

Battle In Bhiwandi West

Bhiwandi West (136) assembly constituency falls in Thane district. The constituency was formed after the delimitation in 2008 and is part of the Bhiwandi Lok Sabha constituency, along with five other assembly constituencies: Bhiwandi Rural, Bhiwandi East, Kalyan West, Shahapur and Murbad.

In its first assembly elections in 2009, Samajwadi Party’s Abdul Rashid Tahir Momin was elected as the MLA. The seat was snatched by the BJP and from 2014 Mahesh Chougule has been the MLA from Bhiwandi West. For the 2014 Maharashtra assembly elections, the BJP has renominated two-term sitting MLA Mahesh Chougule. The seat will witness a triangular fight as Congress has fielded Dayanad Choraghe and AIMIM’s Waris Pathan is also contesting from this seat.

Bhiwandi has a high number of Muslim population and AIMIM had fielded its candidate from this constituency in the 2014 and 2019 assembly polls too. It is to be seen if BJP is able to retain the seat amid tough opponents.  

Past Poll Statistics

In its first assembly elections in 2009, the Samajwadi Party had won the seat. However, from 2014 the constituency is in BJP’s kitty. In 2014, BJP’s Mangesh Chougule won the seat defeating Congress’ Shoeb Khan with a margin of votes and in 2019 Chougule defeated AIMIM’s Khalid with a margin of votes.

Performance during 2024 Lok Sabha Polls

Bhiwandi West assembly constituency is part of the Bhiwandi Lok Sabha constituency. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, two-term sitting MP, BJP’s Kapil Patil lost the seat to NCP (SP)’s Suresh Mhatre. Mhatre won the seat with 499,464 votes and Patil got 433,343 votes. Of the total votes, from Bhiwandi West assembly constituency, Mhatre got 108,358 votes and Patil got 47,878 votes.

About Bhiwandi West Seat

Bhiwandi West is not a reserved seat and is allotted to General Category candidates. The total registered voters during the 2019 assembly elections were 2,75,855 and the voters turnout was 50.34 percent.