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With eyes on all LS seats, BJP bolsters its Mumbai outreach
BJP's Nadda unveils "Heroes of Mumbai" project with busts of 18 personalities, aims to win all 6 Lok Sabha seats in city after decades-long alliance with Shiv Sena.
Strap: From unveiling busts of 18 personalities to taking part in public events, Nadda makes most of 2-day trip to boost party prospects
Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) national president J P Nadda on Thursday inaugurated a “Heroes of Mumbai” project under which busts of 18 personalities, who have contributed to the city’s development, were unveiled at Kilachand Park in Girgaon. The figures include Dr BR Ambedkar, industrialist JRD Tata, Marathi littérateur VV Shirwadkar, doyen of Hindi cinema Dadsaheb Phalke, Sachin Tendulkar, V D Savarkar, Lata Mangeshkar and Dhirubhai Ambani.
“This park will become a source of inspiration to lakhs of Indians. It will also be an attraction for thousands of tourists visiting Mumbai,” said Nadda as he wrapped up his two-day visit to the city.
The “Heroes of Mumbai” project is an initiative to reach out to different communities and sections of people and if this is an indication, the party is leaving no stone unturned to win six Lok Sabha constituencies in the city.
“Leaders from the Koli community, icons of Marathi pride Chhatratpati Shivaji Maharaj, Dr BR Ambedkar, Lata Mangeshkar, Sachin Tendulkar, Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar, Bal Thackeray, and industrialists JRD Tata, Dhirubhai Ambani have been featured in the park. This will help the party project itself as the real party concerned about Mumbai’s development,” a BJP leader, who did not wish to be named, said.
In his two-day stay in Mumbai, Nadda addressed party workers, reviewed preparations in three Lok Sabha constituencies and attended public functions. On Thursday, he also attended a function at Sion Koliwada where he interacted with beneficiaries of Central government schemes. On Wednesday, he visited Rajgriha, home of Dr B R Ambedkar, and Savarkar Sadan, residence of freedom fighter V D Savarkar.
At the heart of the BJP’s thrust in the metropolis is the fact that the party is trying to win all Lok Sabha seats on its own after almost three decades. Since 1990, it has been contesting in alliance with Shiv Sena. In the last two elections in 2014 and 2019, the saffron combine won all six seats in Mumbai - three each.
BJP leaders said except Mumbai North, which has a significant presence of Gujarati-speaking and north Indian voters, it will not be easy to win the remaining five constituencies.
“Each of these five constituencies has a mix of Marathi-speaking people, Dalits, minorities as well as Gujarati and north Indian voters. We don’t know how the voters would respond. As such, we are trying to reach out to different sections, especially Maharashtrians,” a BJP leader from the city said.
On Tuesday, BJP leader Pravin Darekar organised a “Dhanyavad Devendraji” function to felicitate deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for facilitating redevelopment or self-development of old residential buildings in Mumbai. The programme was held at Kalachowkie in the Marathi heartland of central Mumbai. In this event, Fadnavis called Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray a friend of builders and said they will ensure Marathi manoos get houses in the city. Interestingly, he touched on an issue that has been raised by Shiv Sena for decades. “Nobody’s father would dare to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra. We will ensure that.”
On Wednesday, Fadnavis inaugurated a temple of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Kurla, built by BJP MP Poonam Mahajan.
On January 10, Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link. He is expected to visit the city again to partially open the coastal road.
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