Twenty-nine-year-old Aaditya Thackeray, who made his electoral debut from Worli, is leading with a margin of 16393 votes. His strongest opponent, Dalit activist and lawyer Suresh Mane (NCP) was far behind with merely 2929 votes. By 11 am, the young Thackeray had secured 19322 votes.
A Marathi stronghold, Worli has been under Shiv Sena's rule with Sunil Shinde winning in 2014 with a margin on 23012 votes. It was thus considered a safe space for the debut of the Sena’s young candidate.
Over the last few years, the Thackeray junior has emerged as the striking face of Shiv Sena, a party founded by his grandfather Balasaheb Thackeray. With a strong presence on social media, Mr. Thackeray has spoken against the Aarey tree felling and other important issues striking a chord with the people, especially the youth.
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His campaign rallies in the constituency were flocked by a large crowd of locals who hope that he would bring a fresh voice and perspective to the table.