Navi Mumbai, 8th November 2024: At the peak of their influence, the Naik family controlled significant political power in Navi Mumbai. From 2009 to 2014, Ganesh Naik held the Belapur Assembly seat, his son Sandeep represented Airoli, and his eldest son Sanjeev served as the MP for the Thane constituency. During this period, Ganesh Naik also served as the Guardian Minister of Thane, and his nephew, Sagar Naik, was the mayor of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC). This dominance sparked allegations of dynasty politics.
However, in the current scenario, the family faces challenges in maintaining control over Navi Mumbai, a region they once dominated. Ganesh Naik, who had started his political career as a union leader, initially joined Shiv Sena in 1990 before moving to the NCP in 1999, where he held a firm grip on the area. Following the rise of PM Narendra Modi in 2014, his influence began to diminish, leading him to join the BJP in 2019, severing ties with his long-time mentor, Sharad Pawar.
The Naik family’s attempt to retain their hold on Navi Mumbai’s Assembly seats—Airoli and Belapur—has become more complicated due to former allies and protégés now competing against them.
Sandeep Naik, Ganesh Naik’s younger son, will contest from Belapur after switching from the BJP to the NCP, following a disagreement with the BJP over the party’s choice to support Manda Mhatre, the two-term MLA. Sandeep Naik accused the BJP of not honoring promises and disrespecting him. Mhatre, who hails from the agricultural community and has strong support among the Koli Agri population, is expected to be a strong contender for the seat, which has 28% Koli Agri voters.
The Belapur seat is now a three-way contest, with former bureaucrat and NMMC chief Vijay Nahata, who had been with the Shinde Sena and later joined the NCP, running as an independent after being denied tickets by both major parties.
Manda Mhatre previously defeated Ganesh Naik in the 2014 elections by a narrow margin of 1,419 votes, in what was a triangular contest. She retained her seat in 2019 when neither the Naik family nor Nahata contested. Despite the presence of Nahata this time, Mhatre is confident that voters, being educated, will not be easily swayed.
On the Airoli seat, which the Naik family has held since its creation in 2009, Ganesh Naik will face off against MK Madhavi from Shiv Sena UBT, a former loyalist. In the 2019 elections, Naik defeated his NCP rival by over 75,000 votes. This year, the contest has become more interesting with Vijay Choughule, the Thane chief of Shinde Sena and another ex-ally of Ganesh Naik, running as an independent after being denied a ticket. There is visible dissatisfaction among Shinde and Sena UBT workers, with some corporators supporting Choughule.
Both Nahata and Choughule, along with other disgruntled corporators, are rallying against the Naik family, criticizing their monopolization of power and claiming that the family prioritizes promoting its own members over the welfare of the region.
Airoli Seat
– MVA candidate: MK Madhavi (Shiv Sena UBT)
– Mahayuti candidate: Ganesh Naik (BJP)
– Population: 489,059
– 2019 election: Ganesh Naik (BJP) won by 78,491 votes
– 2024 Lok Sabha polls: Naresh Mhaske of Shinde Sena led by 9,798 votes
Belapur Seat
– MVA candidate: Sandeep Naik (NCP)
– Mahayuti candidate: Manda Mhatre (BJP)
– Population: 423,579
– 2019 election: Manda Mhatre (BJP) won by 43,597 votes
– 2024 Lok Sabha polls: Naresh Mhaske of Shinde Sena led by 12,312 votes