MUMBAI: As the nomination process for 13 seats in the fifth and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections begins on Friday, the opposition alliance is close to sealing its seat-sharing formula, while the ruling alliance is still struggling to take a call on six seats, three of these in Mumbai.
The Congress on Thursday announced the name of its Mumbai unit chief, Varsha Gaikwad, from Mumbai North Central. Gaikwad was keen to contest from Mumbai South Central which covers her home turf Dharavi and was also represented by her father, the late Eknath Gaikwad, between 2009 and 2014. However, the Congress failed to get it in the negotiations with the Shiv Sena (UBT), which fielded Anil Desai. Upset at the Sena (UBT)’s high-handedness, Varsha reached out to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to express her displeasure, and staked a claim on Mumbai North Central.
“The party was seriously considering two names; one was Gaikwad and the other was former minister Arif Naseem Khan,” said a senior Congress leader. “We chose Gaikwad since she is a Dalit; her identity as a women and Marathi leader will prove an added advantage.”
The Congress lost Mumbai North Central in the last two polls. Of the six assembly constituencies in it, it has only one MLA, Zeeshan Siddique from the Vandre East seat, who, like his father Baba Siddique, is on his way to join the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. In this changed political scenario, Gaikwad is expected to get support from one assembly constituency—Kalina, where the Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Potnis is the MLA. The rest of the four assembly seats are equally divided between the CM Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the BJP.
{{/usCountry}}The Congress lost Mumbai North Central in the last two polls. Of the six assembly constituencies in it, it has only one MLA, Zeeshan Siddique from the Vandre East seat, who, like his father Baba Siddique, is on his way to join the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. In this changed political scenario, Gaikwad is expected to get support from one assembly constituency—Kalina, where the Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Potnis is the MLA. The rest of the four assembly seats are equally divided between the CM Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the BJP.
{{/usCountry}}The ruling alliance, meanwhile, has almost decided to concede Mumbai South to the Shinde Sena along with Mumbai North West. The party is expected to field Milind Deora and Ravindra Waikar in these constituencies respectively. In the wake of the BJP central leadership refusing to renominate its sitting MP Poonam Mahajan from Mumbai North Central, the party is expected to field its Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar or MLA Parag Alwani against Varsha Gaikwad.
“The party was waiting for the opposition to take a call on its candidate from the shortlisted ones,” said a BJP leader. “Since the Congress has fielded Varsha Gaikwad, the contest is going to be tougher, and the party will have to field Ashish Shelar against her.”
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