Who Is Bhushan Patil? Congress' Mumbai North LS Candidate Against Union Minister Piyush Goyal

The Congress on Tuesday announced Bhushan Patil’s candidature from Mumbai North constituency against Union Minister and BJP leader Piyush Goyal for the Lok Sabha elections.

Releasing a list of four candidates, the grand old party — other than Patil — fielded Raj Babbar from Haryana’s Gurgaon, Anand Sharma from Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra and Satpal Raizada from Himachal’s Hamirpur.

WHO IS BHUSHAN PATIL

Bhushan Patil, contesting the general elections from the Mumbai North seat, is the vice president of the Congress’ Mumbai unit. He previously contested the 2009 Maharashtra Lok Sabha election from the Borivali constituency.

Patil, who has been working for the grand old party for the last 25 years, has also served as its Mumbai unit’s treasurer.

He is also a part of the Central Board of Film Certification Advisory Board Panel and a member of the BEST Committee.

CONTESTING AGAINST PIYUSH GOYAL

Union Minister Piyush Goyal’s surprise candidature was announced in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s second list of 72 candidates for the general elections.

Goyal will face his first electoral test as the BJP’s Mumbai North candidate. He is one of the top ministers in the Narendra Modi government and has been in-charge of crucial ministries in the last 10 years.

At present, the 59-year-old is the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Textiles.

Hailing from Mumbai, Goyal will go back to his roots to contest the Lok Sabha elections, replacing another stalwart, Gopal Shetty, as the contender from the Mumbai North seat.

MUMBAI NORTH CONSTITUENCY

The Mumbai North constituency covers Dahisar, Magathane, Borivali, Kandivali, Malad and Goregoan. BJP’s Gopal Shetty is the sitting MP from this seat.

In 2019, Congress had pitted actor Urmila Matondkar against then incumbent Shetty. It saw a voter turnout of 71 per cent. Shetty emerged a strong winner, with around 71 per cent vote share, while Matondkar was a distant second at 24 per cent.

VOTING DATE IN MUMBAI

Of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, Mumbai accounts for six, including Mumbai North, Mumbai North East, Mumbai North West, Mumbai Nirth Central, Mumbai South and Mumbai South Central.

Polling for all the Mumbai constituencies will take place in the fifth of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections, May 20.

The counting of votes will be held on June 4, 2024.

(With inputs from Vinaya Deshpande)

Check Lok Sabha Election 2024 Phase 3 Schedule, Key Candidates And Constituencies At News18 Website.