No halt in campaign despite injuries

Ghatkopar East MLA Parag Shah, former minister and NCP candidate from Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar Nawab Malik and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) candidate from Sewri Bala Nandgaonkar have continued with their campaign despite the injuries

Mumbai: With assembly polls scheduled on November 20, candidates are going all out to woo voters across various pockets and neighbourhoods in their constituencies. The frantic canvassing has left many tired and weakened, with at least three prominent candidates sustaining serious injuries. They are Ghatkopar East MLA Parag Shah, former minister and NCP candidate from Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar Nawab Malik and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) candidate from Sewri Bala Nandgaonkar. All three have continued with their campaign despite the injuries.

No halt in campaign despite injuries

On Tuesday, Shah fell in his house, which left him with a fractured left knee. “There was a shooting pain in my knee and I was taken to a radiology centre. I have been told to undergo surgery on an urgent basis. But I am wearing braces and trying to push the surgery beyond November 20,” he said.

Sources in the BJP said that Shah has fractured his knee joint and torn a ligament. Following his fall on Tuesday, he circulated a video among voters saying his left knee was damaged.

“It is my duty to meet all voters. I am trying to carry on with padayatras,” said Shah. He could continue his campaign on a wheelchair if needed, he said, adding, “Sometimes God takes your test.”

On Monday, Malik suffered a ligament tear on his right leg while walking in the slums during a padayatra. “Now, I wear braces and travel in my vehicle. There are lots of uneven spaces in slums and I won’t be able to apply pressure on my leg,” he said. The former MLA lost his son-in-law Sameer Shaikh last week.

On November 2, Nandgaonkar fractured his leg while alighting the stairs during a door-to-door campaign.

“I missed a step and had a hairline fracture. I thought it was a sprain and climbed four more buildings, which aggravated the pain. Doctors advised me six weeks rest, but I have no option but to campaign and I will do it,” he said.