Who is Kalidas Kolambkar, candidate who scored 1st win for BJP in Maharashtra?

Maharashtra Elections: Kalidas Kolambkar Wins for BJP Again

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kalidas Kolambkar has retained the Wadala assembly constituency in Mumbai for the ninth time consecutively. According to the Maharashtra election results, as counted on Saturday, Kolambkar defeated Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate and former Mumbai mayor Shraddha Jadhav by 24,973 votes. While the veteran BJP leader secured 66,800 votes, Jadhav managed only 41,827.

Ninth Consecutive Win

This victory is Kolambkar's ninth consecutive win, which means he is placed firmly among the oldest faces in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. His enduring popularity and deep connection with the constituency have gone a long way in sustaining his hold over Wadala for decades.

 BJP Alliance Keeps Momentum Going

Mahayuti alliance under the BJP still leads the Maharashtra assembly election with 18 confirmed wins and now 207 of the 288 assembly seats. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has bagged only one seat and leads in 52, according to the latest data from the Election Commission.

Who is Kalidas Kolambkar?

Kalidas Kolambkar, 70, started his political journey in 1990 when he won his first election at Wadala, then known as Naigaon, as an undivided Shiv Sena member. He has been associated with three main political parties-Shiv Sena, Congress, and BJP-throughout the years.

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Initially a loyalist of Bal Thackeray, Kolambkar left the Shiv Sena in 2005 along with Narayan Rane to join the Congress. However, he switched to the BJP in 2019, citing Congress’s failure to address development issues in Wadala. He accused the party of neglecting police housing projects, the redevelopment of BDD chawls, and additional Floor Space Index (FSI) for mill workers' homes.

Kolambkar attributed his decision to join BJP to the assurances given by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis that he would answer such long-pending development related queries. Since switching to BJP, Kolambkar has maintained his hold on Wadala, proving his viability and relevance across political changes.

Kolambkar's victory speaks about his enormous political clout in Maharashtra and the increasing stranglehold of the BJP over the state politics.