Incumbent MP Rahul Shewale of the Shiv Sena (46) will lock horns again with veteran Congress leader Eknath Gaikwad (79) in the battle for Mumbai South Central seat on Monday.
Once considered a giant killer for defeating former chief minister and then Lok Sabha speaker Manohar Joshi by a margin of 13,329 votes in Mumbai North Central in 2004, Mr. Gaikwad suffered defeat at the hands of Mr. Shewale in 2014 by a margin of 138,180 (17.98%) votes. While Mr. Gaikwad is a two-time MP, three-time MLA from Dharavi, and twice minister in the State Cabinet, Mr. Shewale is a former corporator and four-time chairman of the standing committee of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. A new entrant in the fray is Dr. Sanjay Bhonsale of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi.
‘Broken promises’
If elected again, Mr. Shewale has pledged to turn Mumbai South Central into a ‘smart’ constituency by carrying out projects to improve civic infrastructure and public transport. He is proud about taking the initiative to construct a memorial in honour of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar on the Indu Mill site in Dadar. Mr. Shewale is also keen on implementing the Development Plan for the city.
Meanwhile, Mr. Gaikwad has claimed that the government has done nothing to build the memorial in the last two-and-a-half years. He accused the Narendra Modi-led NDA government of failing to keep its promises, not tackling unemployment and only bringing pain to the public by implementing policies like the Goods & Services Tax and demonetisation. He said that the government had not completed a single development work yet and was confident that the Modi wave had receded. During a rally, Mr. Gaikwad said, “The government does not believe in parliamentary democracy and [the BJP] wants to bring dictatorship in the country. But now, people understand their intention and won’t let them come to power.”
Mr. Gaikwad is also highlighting the Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY), the Congress’s ambitious minimum income guarantee scheme, which assures up to ₹72,000 a year or ₹6,000 a month as income to 20% of the country’s poorest families. Along with his daughter Varsha, a three-term MLA from Dharavi and former State minister for women and child development in the Congress-NCP government, Mr. Gaikwad has launched a campaign titled #KyaHuaTeraVaada to make voters aware of the false promises of the Modi government. The father-daughter duo is carrying out door-to-door campaigning in the constituency, which comprises Anushakti Nagar, Chembur, Dharavi, Sion Koliwada, Wadala and Mahim areas. The constituency has over 14 lakh voters with Maharastrians in majority, while Muslims account for 24% of the electorate.
One issue that concerns both candidates is the long overdue redevelopment of Dharavi, known the world over as Asia’s largest slum. While Mr. Shewale claims that the redevelopment will be completed in seven years, Mr. Gaikwad wants to turn the slum cluster into a new city by providing 500 sq.ft. houses to the residents. Mr. Gaikwad has also been raising his voice in support of the hundreds of residents of Mahul who have been suffering because of hazardous gases released by petroleum factories like BPCL and HPCL.
Weighing in options
Voters in the constituency have begun to weigh in their options with polling just a day away. Hamid Mohammad (46), an autorickshaw driver in Chunabatti, said, “The Congress never made us fight among ourselves. They have been accused of corruption, but we were never pitted against each other. This party [BJP] should not come back to power.” Vinita Kumud, a school teacher in Chembur, said, “Look at the candidates the BJP is fielding: Sakshi Maharaj and Pragya Singh Thakur. Would any sane person want to vote for such a party?”
However, Suresh Kamli (63), a third-generation fisherman from Sion Koliwada, felt that his community had run out of options. He said, “The Congress brought the sea link and the BJP has started work on the coastal project. Both parties did not think about our well-being. Do we have an alternative?”
Constituency name: Mumbai South Central
Number of voters: 14,15,605
Male: 7,65,416
Female: 6,50,099
Others: 90
Assembly segments: Anushakti Nagar, Chembur, Dharavi, Sion Koliwada, Wadala, Mahim
Main contest: Eknath Gaikwad (Congress) vs Rahul Shewale (Shiv Sena)
Sitting MP: Rahul Shewale (Shiv Sena)
2014 victory margin: 1,38,180
2014 polling percentage: 53.09%
Past winners:
2009 – Eknath Gaikwad (Congress)
2004 – Mohan Rawale (Shiv Sena)