It is not just corporators in Mumbai who are contesting the Assembly elections in droves, hoping to elevate their political careers and move from civic to state affairs. While 17 Mumbai corporators have entered the fray for the October 13 poll, 18 of their counterparts from the satellite towns have also thrown their hat into the ring and are campaigning vigorously.

From the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), six corporators are in fray. All the four Assembly segments here has a corporator in the fray, with the prominent being former Mayor and Shiv Sena candidate Rajan Vichare. But the contest to watch here is between Sena’s Pratap Sarnaik and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s (MNS) Sudhakar Chavan — an independent corporator and chairman of Thane Municipal Transport (TMT). Similarly, Rajan Kene, former chairman of TMC’s standing committee, is contesting on a Sena ticket from the Mumbra-Kalwa seat against the NCP’s Jitendra Awhaad.

In Navi Mumbai’s Airoli seat, a tough contest is expected between Sandeep Naik and Vijay Chougule. Naik is NMMC’s standing committee chairman and son of Navi Mumbai strongman Ganesh Naik while Chougule is a corporator from Airoli and Naik’s bete noire. Chougule had unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections against Naik’s bother Sanjeev.

The Mayors of Bhiwandi Nizampura and Mira-Bhayander are also in the fray. Bhiwandi-Nizampura Mayor Javed Dalvi is contesting from Bhiwandi West on a Congress ticket while Narendra Mehta, Mayor of Mira-Bhayander, is pitted against former Mayor and NCP candidate Gilbert Mendocca. Narayan Mankar, president of Navghar-Manickpur Municipal Council, is in the fray from Nalasopara as a Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) candidate.

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