Polling on April 29, the final phase of Lok Sabha elections in the State, will witness sitting MP Gajanan Kirtikar of the Shiv Sena fight it out with Sanjay Nirupam of the Congress to stake claim to the Mumbai North West seat.
With over 17 lakh voters, the constituency comprises upscale neighbourhoods in areas like Versova and Juhu, middle-class housing societies, and slum clusters in areas such as Dindoshi, Malad, and Andheri. North Indians constitute five lakh voters, and Muslims account for 15% of the electorate.
While Mr. Nirupam is projecting himself as a ‘hyperactive’ candidate who hits the streets to take up people’s issues, Mr. Kirtikar has been emphasising on his loyalty to his party and constituency. A senior Shiv Sena leader said, “Unlike Mr. Nirupam, he [Kirtikar] didn’t leave the constituency when he lost to Gurudas Kamat in 2009.”
Campaigning hits fever pitch: Shiv Sena’s sitting MP Gajanan Kirtikar seeks votes in the scorching heat during a campaign rally in Goregaon (East). (Right) Congress candidate Sanjay Nirupam waves to supporters during a padyatra in Dindoshi.
Facing anti-incumbency
Mr. Kirtikar, who won a whopping 4.64 lakh votes (51.91%) in the last polls, now faces anti-incumbency. Mustaq Choudhary, a resident of MIDC area, said, “Our area faces acute water scarcity and has no public toilets. In the last five years, Mr. Kirtikar hasn’t even shown up once in our area.”
Other residents highlighted the traffic problem plaguing the constituency owing to four Metro lines being constructed simultaneously in different areas. Paramjit Ghai, president, JVPD Co-op Housing Association Ltd, said, “Our key demand is to make Metro 2B, from DN Nagar to Mankhurd, an underground line. The other problem affecting residents is the clogging of the Irla nullah. As slums in the area have no toilets or drainage lines, the entire sewerage ends up in the nullah, choking it.”
However, Mr. Kirtikar has chosen to highlight the good work done during his tenure such as improving amenities. His team is confident of winning the elections. Sena MLC Anil Parab said, “The constituency has seven lakh Marathi voters, a vast majority of whom will vote for us. Mr. Kirtikar is the president of the Sthanik Lokadhikar Samiti, which has worked to provide employment to locals. These efforts will definitely work in his favour.”
Sources within the party said the alliance with the BJP has helped the party. A senior leader said, “Over the past few years, the BJP and the Sena have fought two elections against each other. As the battle became primarily between these two parties, the other opposition parties were left behind. However, with the formation of the alliance, their resources have doubled.”
Waging uphill battle
Mr. Nirupam, who has been highlighting the poor state of civic amenities, faces an uphill battle in the constituency. Though the seat has historically been a Congress bastion with Sunil Dutt and Kamat representing it in the past, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s (MNS) refusal to extend support spells trouble for Mr. Nirupam. In 2014, the MNS had fielded filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar from the seat and he garnered 66,088 votes (7.38%).
MNS chief Raj Thackeray has been openly canvassing against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but given his acrimonious relationship with Mr. Nirupam, no help will be forthcoming from the party. While sources in the Sena are confident that the MNS’s stand will fetch them Marathi votes, Congress leaders consider it a blessing in disguise. A senior Congress leader said, “Had we been in an open coalition with the MNS, we would have lost a large chunk of votes from the north Indian population, which contitutes nearly 25% of the electorate in the constituency.”
Mr. Nirupam also faces competition from the Samajwadi Party (SP), which has fielded Subhash Pasi, a sitting MLA from Saidpur in Uttar Pradesh. Mr. Pasi might eat into the north Indian and Muslim votes like SP’s Abu Azmi did in 2009 by winning around 84,000 votes.
Opposition from within
Mr. Nirupam is also grappling with infighting. He was removed as the Mumbai Congress chief as soon as the party announced his candidature. Sources said cadre loyal to Kamat have not supported Mr. Nirupam’s campaign. A close aide to Mr. Nirupam said, “He is banking on the four years he spent as Mumbai Congress chief. He was the face of the party then and had revived it in the city after the 2014 poll debacle. He is also a resident of the area and has taken up local issues with the authorities over the past few years.”
