Bhiwandi Lok Sabha Constituency
Constituency number: 23
Total electors: 16,96,589
Female electors: 7,51,184
Male electors: 9,45,405
Reserved: No
Delimited: Yes. It was created in 2008. Bhiwandi and Shahapur Assembly segments were added from erstwhile Dahanu Lok Sabha constituency. Parts of erstwhile Kalyan Assembly segment and Murbad segment were added from Thane Lok Sabha constituency.
Assembly constituencies: Bhiwandi Rural (ST), Shahapur (ST), Bhiwandi East, Bhiwandi West, Kalyan West, Murbad
Results in last four Lok Sabha elections: Congress leader Suresh Taware won the seat in 2009 but BJP’s Kapil Moreshwar Patil succeeded him in 2014.
Demographics: Once known for being a Muslim-dominated constituency, post-delimitation Bhiwandi has a different demographic matrix where caste also plays a major role. While Bhiwandi West is Muslim dominated, Bhiwandi East and Kalyan West are dominated by Agri and Koli voters. Assembly segments like Bhiwandi Rural and Murbad have a sizeable population of the Kunbis.