19 of 36 MLAs in the city are first-timers now

Of the seven first-timers, four MLAs — Prakash Surve (Magathane), Sunil Raut (Vikhroli), Tukaram Kate (Anushakti Nagar), Ajay Choudhary (Sewri) —are from the Shiv Sena. Two of them, Ameet Satam (Andheri-East) and Dr Bharti Lavekar (Versova), are from the BJP while one, Waris Pathan, is from the All India Masjil-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen.

“I have been working in various elections for the Sena for the last 40 years. Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership and strong support by Shiv Sainiks are the only two reasons behind my victory,” said Choudhary, who won with 72,462 votes in Sewri, defeating MNS’s Bala Nandgaonkar, who came a distant second with 30,553 votes.

BJP first-timers Lavekar and Satam credited PM Narendra Modi’s leadership and “charisma” for their victories. “I was a bit worried when I started campaigning, but after listening to the disappointment expressed by the people of Versova about the previous MLA, I became confident of winning,” Lavekar added.

Former mayor Sunil Prabhu, who won from Dindoshi, said he will use his experience of working with local issues at the corporation to serve more people as an MLA now. “I will try and work with the state in resolving issues of water and roads. The constituency also needs more libraries and hospitals, I will try and get it approved as an MLA now,” said Prabhu, a four-time corporator who has also been the leader of the house in the civic body and the standing committee chairman.

MLAs Vinod Tawde and Ashish Shelar have been MLCs in the past, while the rest of the nine MLAs have served as corporators.

“My agenda is to provide children with free education, and to make wider roads so that fire engines can reach the interiors of the slums,” said BJP MLA Selvan R Tamil from Sion-Koliwada.