MUMBAI: Uddhav Thackeray’s nephew, Varun Sardesai, defeated NCP’s Zeeshan Siddique by a margin of 11,365 votes in Bandra East. Sardesai polled 57,708 votes, while Siddique, who had held the seat in 2019, received 46,343 votes.
Sardesai, Aaditya Thackeray’s cousin, marking his poll debut, said, “I am thrilled to have won my first-ever election. Last time, people were upset with our loss, but today, they have made their choice.”
“There was also an attempt by Mahayuti to split my votes.They fielded Truptti Sawant from MNS and an Eknath Shinde faction candidate as an independent. However, this had no impact. What worked in my favour was presenting myself as a double graduate with no criminal record and assuring voters that I would remain accessible to them,” said Sardesai.
He, however, refused to comment on MVA’s poor performance in the state.
The defeat marked a significant setback for Siddique, who left the counting centre while votes were still being tallied. Reflected on the loss, he said: “I feel bad for letting my father’s legacy down. First, I lost him, and now this. However, I humbly accept the people’s mandate and wish Varun and Shiv Sena (UBT) the best.”
With Sardesai’s victory, the Thackeray family’s influence in Bandra East remains intact, despite facing an almost rout in the state.