Over 3,300 Shiv Sena aspirants seek tickets for Thane district civic polls; women show strong participation

Thane (Maharashtra) [India], December 19 (ANI): Ahead of the upcoming municipal corporation elections, the Shiv Sena has received an overwhelming response from aspirants in Thane district, with as many as 3,348 party workers submitting applications for candidature across six civic bodies. The large turnout, including a significant number of women applicants, underscores the intense competition expected in the selection process.
According to Shiv Sena Member of Parliament Naresh Mhaske, 1,548 women have applied for party tickets, reflecting strong enthusiasm among women to contest local body elections under the party banner. Interviews of aspirants from the six municipal corporations in Thane district are scheduled to begin on Saturday.
The six civic bodies include Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Ulhasnagar, Navi Mumbai, Bhiwandi-Nizampur and Mira-Bhayandar municipal corporations. Collectively, these corporations have 618 corporate seats, while the number of applicants is four to five times higher than the available seats, indicating a highly competitive selection process.
The Thane Municipal Corporation, which has 131 corporator seats, recorded the highest number of applications, with 1,277 aspirants seeking Shiv Sena candidature. The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation, with 112 seats, received 682 applications, while the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation, with 78 seats, received 385 applications.
Similarly, 496 aspirants submitted applications for the 111-seat Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation. The Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation, with 90 seats, received 176 applications, while the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation, with 96 seats, received 332 applications.
Mhaske said the response in Thane district mirrors the enthusiasm seen in Mumbai, where over 2,700 aspirants appeared for interviews seeking Shiv Sena candidature, with women making up the largest group.
Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde announced earlier that the party will contest the municipal elections as part of the Mahayuti alliance. In line with this, seat-sharing talks between Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party are currently underway at the municipal level, party leaders said. (ANI)