Mumbai (Maharashtra) : In an election every vote counts. This was evident from the result of the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency, which was declared on Tuesday, June 4.
Shiv Sena candidate Ravindra Waikar emerged triumphant from the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat by just 48 votes, the smallest margin in Maharashtra in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
According to the data provided by the Election Commission of India (ECI), Waikar bagged 4,52,644 votes, while his nearest rival, Amol Kirtikar of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), got 4,52,596 votes in what was a nail-biting finish after a see-saw battle between the two candidates.
Waikar, the MLA from Jogeshwari East seat in suburban Mumbai, had switched over from the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena earlier in 2024 and his candidature from the Lok Sabha constituency was announced at the last minute.
Amol Kirtikar is the son of former Shiv Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar, who decided to stay with the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde despite his joining hands with former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Trends showed both the candidates leading at different times during the counting of votes. At one point Kirtikar was leading by just one vote.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said he suspects there was something "fishy" in the counting process and added his party was contemplating to challenge the result.
"It is due to the hard work of Shiv Sainiks, workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) that I won," Waikar said post his win.
"The Elections officials told us that they have not seen such a close contest, especially for the Lok Sabha polls. I emerged victorious by a margin of 48 votes. The (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee government fell due to one vote and so every vote counts. It was important to win. I had said before that I would contest and win and I did that," he said.
He thanked Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray for their support and also remembered Shiv Sena founder late Balasaheb Thackeray on the occasion.
