Marathi heartland turns up in large numbers to vent anger

Mumbai: Voters in the Marathi corridor of Parel-Lalbaug turned up in large numbers on Tuesday to vent their anger against being forced to migrate to far-flung suburbs, thanks to the development in these traditional mill areas. Much of the anger was directed against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is seen as responsible for the ‘lopsided’ development in the area and anp ‘outsider arty’. In addition, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray’s decision to break ties with the BJP has bolstered the morale of the Shiv Sainik here.

“I have been holding the Sena flag since the first rally of Bal Thackeray in Shivaji Park, and will die a Sainik. The BJP gained in our city only because of Bal Thackeray. But now they are daring us in our own place. They should be taught a lesson,” said Narendra Padtarkar. Even those who were earlier lethargic about voting, have now vowed to vote out the BJP. “Demonetisation has just added to their troubles,” he said.

A lady managing a Shiv Sena helpdesk near Haffkine Institute said: “We are being thrown out of our city. We cannot afford a house in our own locality and being replaced by people of other communities in our own suburb. This is very disturbing for us.”

The blame for the displacement was laid at the BJP’s door. “The BJP is perceived as a party of builders, who we loathe for trying to usurp our lands. Earlier, because the BJP was with the Sena, it did not face our wrath. Now that they are standing separately, they will face our wrath in this election,” said Sena functionary Neeraj Bhonsale.

The maximum crowd could be seen at the Shiv Sena helpdesks; desks of other parties barely had a few people. At Lalbaug, even those manning the BJP desk admitted that the Sena had the upper hand in their area. “Those who vote for the bow-and-arrow, will never vote anywhere else. In this area, we are sitting on the BJP desks, but workers of all parties are our friends and neighbours. When our own leaders are friends, what is the point in us breaking each other’s necks over it?” said Ganesh More, an electrician.

A man sitting on the Sena desk said: “Those young boys manning the MNS desks are also like our children. They are sitting there because they have been paid to do so and what’s wrong in getting paid? But, we are here simply to stand up for our own party; we receive no money.” The camaraderie between the workers of different parties is infectious; the atmosphere is one of a family get-together.

“Children of many families have shifted to far-flung suburbs like Badlapur, but retain their documents here. A couple of days before elections they check their names in the electoral rolls and make it a point to come here all the way, to cast their vote,” explains Bhonsale.

“Individuals are not important, only the party is. In our party, a worker does not matter, only our party and its symbol do,” said a Sena worker at the shakha near KEM Hospital. Shakha Pramukh Madhukar Chavan urged women party workers to go to each household and get all the women to vote. “Don’t bother about the helpdesks, the men can take care of those,” he said. Incidentally, there was almost no incident here of names missing from electoral rolls.