The Mumbai North Lok Sabha seat was one where the Congress was reportedly unable to zero in on a candidate to take on sitting MP Gopal Shetty, but the entry of actor Urmila Matondkar has now brought in more than a semblance of a contest. It is among the BJP's strongest seats in the state, and Shetty, a former corporator and multiple-time MLA, had defeated former Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam in the 2014 general election by 4.46 lakh votes, among the widest margins in the country.

According to observers, the morale of Congress workers was down after Nirupam reportedly showed an unwillingness to contest from the constituency this time. They add that Matondkar, who has surprised most with her articulateness while speaking on political issues, has now ensured that the BJP has a fight on hand and the contest is no longer a cakewalk. While Mumbai North was among the largest Lok Sabha constituencies in the country, behind Outer Delhi and Thane, the delimitation exercise in 2008 shrunk it.