'It’s Worli now': Milind Deora's big hint on fight against Aaditya Thackeray

NEW DELHI: Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena leader Milind Deora on Friday dropped hints of a direct fight between him and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on the high-profile Worli assembly seat in Maharashtra.
Taking to X, Deora wrote: "Chief Minister Eknath Shinde ji believes that justice for Worli & Worlikars is long overdue. Together, we're paving the way forward & will share our vision soon."
"It’s Worli NOW!" the leader added.

Deora is currently a member of Rajya Sabha.
Meanwhile, Aaditya, who filed his nomination a day before, hit out at the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government and said his party is fighting this elections to stop the loot done by the chief minister.
"This election is between those who love Maharashtra and who are against Maharashtra. We are fighting to election to stop the loot done by CM Eknath Shinde," Aaditya said.

Earlier, a high-ranking Shiv Sena official revealed that Deora, who was earlier a Congress MP and Union Minister and recently joined the Sena, is being considered as a potential candidate for the Worli assembly seat. Deora had previously sought the South Mumbai Lok Sabha ticket, which ultimately went to MLA Yamini Jadhav, who was defeated by Sena (UBT)'s Arvind Sawant.
Aaditya Thackeray submitted his nomination papers for the Worli constituency on Thursday. The MNS has fielded former Corporator Sandeep Deshpande as their candidate, while Shaina NC has been actively campaigning for the BJP in the area. The Sena had previously asserted that they would nominate a local Shiv Sainik who would contest and win the seat. Susieben Shah, a Sena representative, expressed confidence in their ability to select a strong candidate, stating, "Worli is Shiv Sena's seat."
In the 2019 assembly elections, Aaditya Thackeray, the first member of his family to run for office, made his political debut by winning the Worli seat with a margin of over 70,000 votes against his NCP opponent Suresh Mane. However, in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Sena (UBT) candidate Arvind Sawant's lead from the Worli assembly constituency was reduced to just 6,715 votes. Both CM Eknath Shinde and his son, MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde, have been paying close attention to Worli, with frequent visits to the area. In September, Shrikant heightened political tensions in Worli by visiting as part of his Jan Samvad Yatra.
In 2022, shortly after the MVA government's collapse, Aaditya penned an emotional letter to his constituents, commemorating his three years as MLA. In the letter, he indirectly criticized the BJP, claiming that every party now wanted to invest time and money in Worli due to its exceptional progress. He also addressed "Worlikars," accusing the CM Eknath Shinde faction of engaging in "dirty politics and betrayal."