In city, MNS star rises from the east

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) was the star in the Marathi-speaking eastern suburbs. Among those it trounced were Poonam Mahajan, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate and daughter of the late Pramod Mahajan.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) was the star in the Marathi-speaking eastern suburbs. Among those it trounced were Poonam Mahajan, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate and daughter of the late Pramod Mahajan.

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Shishir Shinde (Bhandup), Mangesh Sangle (Vikhroli) and Ram Kadam (Ghatkopar West) stormed the traditional Shiv Sena strongholds.

Defeating two first-time women candidates, Kadam won in the new Ghatkopar West constituency. While the Congress fielded Janet D’Souza, daughter of late minister Celine D’Silva, the BJP fielded Poonam. A large crowd celebrated Kadam’s win on the streets of Barve Nagar.

There was a crowd outside St Xaviers Secondary School in Bhandup, a counting centre, too. MNS supporters cheered as Shinde quickly opened up a 17,000-vote lead. He eventually won with 68,302 votes in his favour while the Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP’s) Shivaji Nalawde secured 37,000 votes.

In Vikhroli, the MNS’ Mangesh Sangle (35) won with a margin of almost 20,000 votes. He said it was because the MNS took a stand against the government plan to create a dumping ground at Vikhroli.

In Mankhurd, it was the city’s richest candidate, the Samajwadi Party’s Abu Asim Azmi, who won.

Inputs by Rajendra Aklekar, Bhavika Jain, Kasturi Bagwe, Pratiksha Puri