Shiv Sena's Mixed Fortunes in Maharashtra Lok Sabha Polls: A Tale of Two Factions

The ruling Shiv Sena won seven out of 15 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's stronghold, Thane. However, they lost two seats in Mumbai to rival Shiv Sena (UBT). The results set the stage for a crucial assembly election later this year to establish the 'real' Shiv Sena.

The ruling Shiv Sena has clinched victory in seven of the 15 Lok Sabha seats it contested in Maharashtra, including the political stronghold of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in Thane. However, the party faced setbacks in Mumbai, losing two key constituencies to its rival faction, Shiv Sena (UBT).

As the state braces for critical assembly elections later this year, the results could determine which faction of the erstwhile united Shiv Sena, splintered in 2022, emerges as the 'real' party—whether it's the camp led by Eknath Shinde or his arch-rival, Uddhav Thackeray.

Of the 15 seats, the Shiv Sena was in direct competition with Shiv Sena (UBT) in 13, ultimately winning six of these—Thane, Kalyan, Hatkanangale, Buldhana, Aurangabad, and Maval. However, it lost the Mumbai South and Mumbai South Central seats but retained Mumbai North West by a slender margin of 48 votes.

Back in 2019, the then-unified Shiv Sena had contested 23 Lok Sabha seats in alliance with the BJP, securing 18 victories. However, post-split in 2021, the Shinde-led Sena contested only 15 seats after a tussle with alliance partners BJP and the NCP.

Shinde attributed the losses to opposition propaganda suggesting constitutional changes and admitted to internal challenges, including delays in candidate announcements, as factors in the party's electoral performance.