Every vote holds weight in an election, a truth starkly illustrated by the outcome of the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency, unveiled on Tuesday, June 4.

Ravindra Waikar, the candidate from Shiv Sena, clinched victory by a razor-thin margin of only 48 votes in the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha race, marking the narrowest win in Maharashtra during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Data furnished by the Election Commission of India (ECI) reveals that Waikar secured 452,644 votes, while his closest contender, Amol Kirtikar of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), trailed closely with 452,596 votes, culminating in a tense, back-and-forth confrontation between the two contenders.

Waikar, hailing from the Jogeshwari East constituency in suburban Mumbai, had made a switch from the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) to the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde earlier in 2024, with his candidacy for the Lok Sabha seat announced at the eleventh hour.

Amol Kirtikar, the son of former Shiv Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar, opted to remain aligned with the Shiv Sena under Eknath Shinde’s leadership, despite his father joining forces with former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Throughout the vote tallying process, both candidates took turns leading. At one juncture, Kirtikar held a mere one-vote advantage.

Expressing suspicions regarding the vote count, Uddhav Thackeray, the chief of Shiv Sena (UBT), hinted at potential irregularities and hinted at a possible challenge to the outcome.

“My victory stands as a testament to the dedication of Shiv Sainiks and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers,” Waikar remarked following his triumph.

“Election officials confessed that such a tight race, especially in a Lok Sabha election, was unprecedented. I emerged victorious by a mere 48 votes. History reminds us that the downfall of the Vajpayee government was decided by a single vote. Thus, every ballot holds immense significance. Winning was imperative, and as promised, I contested and emerged triumphant,” he asserted.

He extended gratitude to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray for their unwavering support, while also honoring the memory of Shiv Sena’s founder, the late Balasaheb Thackeray, on this occasion.