Mumbai: Kalidas Kolambkar has been elected from the Wadala assembly seat on a BJP ticket, making history by securing his ninth consecutive win. BJP's Kalidas Kolambkar, who had claimed he would win again this year and enter the Guinness Book of Records, has achieved a landslide victory. Kolambkar faced a challenge from Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) candidate Shraddha Jadhav, a former mayor of Mumbai, but emerged victorious by a significant margin. Kolambkar received 66,800 votes, defeating UBT candidate Shraddha Jadhav by 24,973 votes.

Kolambkar's latest triumph sets a new record in the constituency. Starting his political journey with Shiv Sena, Kolambkar later joined the Congress and eventually, the BJP, maintaining an unbroken streak of victories since 1990. He first became an MLA in 1990 from the Naigaon constituency. After the constituency was reorganised in 2009, Kolambkar continued his winning streak from Wadala.

During his campaign, Kolambkar notably opposed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's controversial "Batenge to Katenge" slogan, expressing confidence that Muslim voters in the constituency would support him. His confidence has been vindicated, as he won with overwhelming support from the diverse electorate of Marathi, Muslim, Parsi, and Dalit voters.

Kolambkar had earlier expressed his ambition to be listed in the Guinness Book of Records for winning nine consecutive elections. He is now one step closer to this goal. Reflecting on his achievements, Kolambkar said, "The late MLA Ganpatrao Deshmukh won ten times from Sangola in Solapur, but his victories were not consecutive. I have won eight times in a row and am confident of securing a ninth victory."

Kolambkar’s political journey began with the Shiv Sena. He left the party in 2005 along with Narayan Rane and joined the Congress. In 2019, he successfully contested the elections on a BJP ticket. His consistent victories highlight his ability to connect with voters across party lines and demographic groups, making him a significant figure in Maharashtra politics.