Congress’ Rangeela girl battles BJP organisation

MUMBAI: It’s Glamour Vs Grit again in Mumbai North, a densely-populated constituency stretching from Malad to Dahisar. As Congress novice and former actor Urmila Matondkar takes on incumbent BJP MP Gopal Shetty, the embarrassment of the Ram Naik-Govinda slugfest of 2004 is revived for many.


Local BJP workers are loathe to admit it and claim Shetty will retain the seat without much trouble, but they seem bewildered by Matondkar’s high-pitch, media-motored campaign. “The Mumbai:Rangeela girl hops through bastisand slums, multi-storeyed towers and nagars with aplomb; makes brief, breezy speeches and carries herself lightly, much to the liking of first-time voters, especially girls,” said Sumant Shah, a trader.

Addressing a pre-dominantly Gujarati neighbourhood last week, Matondkar spoke her lines with finesse, praising dhokla and gaathia, comfort food for the community. On Gudi Padwa last Saturday, Matondkar was decked up in the traditional Maharashtrian nineyard sari, with a nose-ring. “ Maan na padega, the woman has spunk. She rides a rickshaw, eats at roadside stalls, talks to children, takes selfies with women and walks with a spring in her step,” said Preeti Patel, a housewife from Yogi Nagar.

Despite the 2004 Govinda upset, Matondkar’s job is uphill. BJP veteran Ram Naik’s defeat in 2009, by Congress’ Sanjay Nirupam, meant Mumbai North was no longer a BJP jagir, but Shetty restored the party’s clout in 2014 by reclaiming it. In fact, once Nirupam turned tail, Congress was at a loss about who to field till Matondkar materialised.

Breaking into a film song may not be Shetty’s forte, but the 60-something MP relies on his organisational orchestra, and a vast circle of traders and heads of social-educational institutions in the Borivli-Kandivli belt. Shetty, whose hometown is said to be Udipi in Karnataka, has struck deep roots among Gujaratis, and speaks Gujarati like his mother tongue.

Also, Shetty started as a corporator, then graduated to the legislative assembly. In 2014, he entered the Lok Sabha with a margin of over four lakh votes, next only to that of Narendra Modi. “Gopalbhai has his finger on the people’s pulse. Easily accessible, he is ready to help the needy, be it school admission, shortage of water or infrastructure,” said Preeti Fernandes, a social activist from Navagaon, Dahisar. Old-timers said Shetty knows the constituency like the back of his hand, and is well-connected with the party’s grassroots workers who run his well-oiled poll machinery.

Moreover, four of the six assembly segments are with BJP. The party also has 24 of the total 42 corporators. “We are well prepared not just to take on the Congress candidate, but to win the Lok Sabha seat,” said Kandivli (east) BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar. The Sena has 12 corporators, while the Congress tally is six. Shetty could find the going tough in Malwani, where Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh rules with an iron hand, and Magathane, which is with Sena.

Shetty’s penchant to shoot off his mouth could also haunt him. Last year he said Christians didn’t play a key role in the freedom movement at a public meeting in Orlem, Malad. “He is haughty and often ill-tempered. This is a matter of concern,” admitted a senior BJP functionary. Shetty has been periodically trolled by civil society, especially from Borivli, for eyeing maidans for commercial exploitation, said a young activist from Borivli.

Much will depend on the extent of Sena support too. “The BJP-Sena reconciliation hasn’t percolated to the grassroots,” said a Sainik from Dahisar. Marathis are not a pushover in the constituency. In 2014, Sena, which contested the assembly elections delinked from BJP, polled 2.05 lakh votes in the six assembly segments that make up Mumbai North. MNS’ tally was 1.04 lakh votes. MNS, which is not contesting, is likely to back Matondkar, a Marathi “mulgi”.

If a sizeable section of Sena votes shift to Matondkar for reason of linguistic loyalty, the contest will be spiced up, said Sena watchers. Yet, Shetty can safely depend on the 3.21 lakh Hindi-speaking and 3.84 lakh Gujarati-Rajasthani votes, said sources. “2019 is not 2004. The BJP will win with a higher margin than in 2014. Voters are aware of Narendraji's (Modi) efforts to turn India into a super power,” said BJP leader J P Mishra.