Ram Naik or Govinda: Difficult choice for voters

It could be a difficult choice for the middle-class North Mumbai to choose between a hard-boiled politician, a Union minister, and a debutant Bollywood actor in a high-profile battle.

It could be a difficult choice for the predominantly middle-class North Mumbai constituency to choose between a hard-boiled politician, a Union minister, and a debutant Bollywood actor in a high-profile battle that has generated nation-wide interest.

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Veteran BJP leader Ram Naik, who is seeking to ride the success of being the longest serving Petroleum Minister in the country to score a double hat-trick, is facing stiff challenge from cine star Govinda who has turned issues like the water problem to challenge the otherwise enviable track record of the five-time MP.

Of the 23 lakh electorate of North Mumbai, about 20 per cent is north Indian, the section Congress candidate Govinda is trying to swing in his favour. Besides, the presence of socialist Vidya Chavan could split the sizeable tribal votes.

Naik, who hasn't lost an election in over 25 years, is unfazed by the good turnouts at the roadshows of Govinda. "People have seen what I have done for them during my five terms as MP and three terms as MLA. My work will sail me through," he says.

But his senior aides, who are confident of his victory, expresses concern that margin of victory which has been increasing since 1989, may not be 1.5 lakhs as was in 1999 with Govinda giving a tough fight.

"Earlier Congress did not have a candidate but in Govinda they have a popular figure," says a Naik aide.

Naik knows this and is not taking any chances. He has roped in top leaders of BJP and Shiv Sena including Uday Thackeray, Pramod Mahajan, Gopinath Munde and Uma Bharti to campaign for him in the last week to the April 26 polling.

In all 13 candidates are in fray including one from BSP but the main battle will be between larger-than-life minister Naik and local mascot Govinda.

Born Govinda Ahuja, the actor who lived till his youth in Virar, a congested suburban part of the constituency, has his poll plank highlighting the problems of the area called Mumbai's dormitory.

Clinging on the 'bijli, sadak, pani' (power, roads and water) theme, he says Naik had not done anything for slum development, education, healthcare and water problems in the constituency. "I will change all this."

The Minister is however not buying his claims. "If someone says I have not done anything for slum development than he doesn't know the constituency" and in the same breath challenges Govinda for a public debate.

"Govinda has not turned up at debates organised by various TV channels. People should know who stands for what," he said, claiming people will not be swayed by an "imported" candidate and he will return to Parliament with a whopping majority.

But some say Naik should not underestimate the power of glamour, especially among the uneducated and unemployed youth and among young women. Govinda is particularly popular among younger people who constitute a majority in the constituency.

His admirers credit Naik for reforming the Indian petroleum sector. His critics, however, call him an "intervening type" who seeks to take credit for the achievements of others in the oil sector.

There are no visible signs of electioneering in the constituency as strict municipal corporation rules bar putting up of banners and posters without permission.

So the two main candidates have to rely on mass contact programmes. Naik toured all the wards in the 112-km long constituency on his 'Ram Rath' while Govinda held roadshows.

Unlike Naik's campaign, Govinda's roadshow saw huge turnout with people hanging off balconies and rooftops to have a glimpse of their favourite star.

To counter the glamour, Naik got a 28-minute video made of his achievements like asking oil companies to lay water pipeline and a one-liner from 1988 movie 'Shahenshah' where Amitabh Bachchan playing a corrupt cop, asks people to approach Ram Naik of Borovali to get their work done.

"I am not borrowing glamour from Bollywood for my campaign. My name being referred to in the movie is a statement of my credentials," he says.

Naik, who is called at all orientation programmes to teach new legislators on how to nurture their constituencies, has got a TV and a video player fitted on 20 auto-rickshaws and each makes some 6-7 shows during the day in different parts of the constituency.

Govinda is clearly not impressed and has decided to abandon his campaign vehicle for fear of repeat of a Lucknow type incident, where 22 people died in a stampede during the birthday celebrations of senior BJP leader Lalji Tondon.

"My rallies attract huge crowds and I don't want any untoward incident," he says, adding he would be campaigning on foot in the constituency.

Lately, the Congress suffered a setback when Vivek Pandit, a tribal leader, quit the party. BJP is also exploiting the rift in Congress over Govinda's proximity with Hitendra Thakur - the MLA brother of TADA detenue Bhai Thakur.