Lok Sabha elections 2024: Will Parag Alavani pip Poonam Mahajan to Mumbai North Central seat?

Parag Alavani; (right) Poonam Mahajan has held the Mumbai North Central seat since 2014. File pic

BJP MLA from Vile Parle, Parag Alavani may possibly be the "dark horse" as his party's pick for the Mumbai North Central parliamentary seat. According to BJP insiders, the party is not keen on re-nominating its sitting MP Poonam Mahajan and Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar has said he wishes to remain in the state.

So, BJP's two-term MLA from Vile Parle, Advocate Parag Alavani's name is being considered as the party's candidate for the seat.

BJP MLA and Mumbai party chief Ashish Shelar and BJP MP Poonam Mahajan at an election rally. File pic

Alavani, a hard-core RSS man, has been associated with the party for nearly four decades, right from campus politics to ABVP days. In early 2000, for two terms he was elected as corporator to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and now represents Vile Parle for the second term.

mid-day in its edition on Sunday reported on how the BJP is looking for a Marathi face to contest the Mumbai North Central parliamentary seat as the party has already fielded two non-Marathi candidates - Piyush Goyal from North Mumbai and Mihir Kotecha for the North-East constituency. There are six parliamentary constituencies in Mumbai of which the BJP has announced candidates for two seats.

BJP Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar, and MLA Parag Alavani. File pics

A senior BJP functionary, on the condition of anonymity, confirmed the development stating that the Delhi leadership is of the opinion that Shelar is the candidate the party can surely win the seat with, as sitting MP Poonam Mahajan's absence being felt by voters in the constituency has dented the party's vote bank. But, since Shelar is not keen, a survey was done to gauge who could be another option as the right candidate for the seat.

The seat has been with the BJP for the last two elections. Poonam, daughter of former minister Pramod Mahajan, is a sitting MP, but the survey report is said to be going against her. Before Poonam, the seat was represented by veteran Congress leader and actor Sunil Dutt's daughter - Priya. She won from the constituency in 2009 but lost in 2014 and 2019 to Poonam who bagged 4.86 lakh votes in 2019 as against the 3.56 lakh votes Dutt received.

2014
Year Poonam Mahajan won Mumbai North Central seat

‘MVA's minority candidate will make victory easy'

As pressure on MVA is mounting to nominate candidates from minority communities for the Mumbai North Central parliamentary seat, BJP party workers claim that if this is done, winning polls would be easy for them. "If MVA fields candidates from minority communities, it will not only polarise the polls but even party workers and leaders from the Uddhav Thackeray camp will not put their shoulders on the wheel in such a situation. This will help the BJP candidate," a party worker said. In the seat-sharing formula, the BJP has bagged this seat from Mahayuvti and Congress will be nominating its candidate on behalf of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. However, none of the camps announced candidates.