NAVI MUMBAI, Jan. 31 -- The battle for control of Uran's rural heartland has intensified into a political turf war, transforming the upcoming zilla parishad (ZP) and panchayat samiti elections into a survival contest for the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) against an aggressive Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In a taluka long shaped by labour unions, the emerging "Third Mumbai" and the new international airport, a record 75 candidates are vying for dominance across 12 key seats - four in the Raigad ZP and eight in the panchayat samiti. For the PWP, this election is a battle for survival. Uran has traditionally been an agrarian fortress for the PWP, but the BJP is attempting to dismantle this final stronghold. On the other hand, BJP MLA Mahesh Baldi says this is an opportunity to cement the party's grassroots dominance. "For years, Uran has been held back by emotional politics. We are now taking the 'double-engine' development agenda to every village to dismantle this stagnation," Baldi said. "The people want progress, not just empty slogans." The electorate includes a massive bloc of project affected persons (PAPs) and Mathadi workers (head loaders), who have historically leaned towards the PWP. At the heart of the campaign is the rehabilitation of families displaced by the airport, environmental damage to fishing zones, and the strain on infrastructure caused by port logistics. While the BJP pitches growth, PWP leader Balaram Patil lashed out at the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, saying, "The ruling party thinks they can purchase democracy with money power, but they cannot buy the self-respect of the 'bhumiputra' (sons of the soil). The locals know who stood by them during the airport displacement crisis. This is a fight for our existence and our land against outside forces." But the region has a history of split verdicts. In the 2017 ZP elections, Uran delivered a fractured mandate. The Congress emerged as the leading party with two seats, while the Shiv Sena and BJP managed only one each. The panchayat samiti results were equally precarious, with the PWP securing four seats, just one short of a majority. The contest for the four ZP groups has turned into prestige battlefields. In the Navghar group, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has fielded Prerana Kunal Patil to challenge the BJP's Prabhavati Rajaram Bhoir, while the Jasai group sees a traditional rivalry renewed with Congress candidate Dr Manish Patil locking horns with the BJP's JD Joshi. The stakes are arguably highest in the Chanje group, where former BJP member Reena Jitendra Gharat is defending her turf against Siddhi Sagar Kadu of the Sena (UBT). Meanwhile, the Chirner group is witnessing a classic duel between the BJP's Devendra Vinayak Patil and Congress's Avinash Vijay Thakur. Grassroots warfare for the eight panchayat samiti seats is characterised by intricate local dynamics. A key contest is unfolding in the Chanje gana, where former PWP chairperson Sagar Sadanand Kadu is locked in a heavyweight bout against the BJP's Kailas Moreshwar Bhoir. In the Jasai seat, the fight has turned into a community battle, with the PWP's Nirmala Naresh Gharat facing off against the BJP's Manisha Baliram Gharat. Similarly, the PWP is mounting a strong offensive in Kegaon and Chirle, fielding Mahesh Mhatre and Priyanka Deepak Madhavi against BJP candidates Rajendra Thakur and Jyotsna Ajit Patil, respectively. Amid these resource-heavy campaigns, the Bhendkhal Gana has emerged as a unique ideological flashpoint. Here, the electorate faces a triangular fight between Deepak Suresh Bhoir (Sena UBT), Milind Patil (BJP), and Kunda Bhushan Patil of the CPI(M), who has distinguished herself with a crowd-funding initiative....