Maha polls: In Mahim, it is Article 370 vs local issues

Mahim constituency is the Marathi heartland, the place where two parties that endorse sons-of-the-soil agenda – Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) –

Mahim constituency is the Marathi heartland, the place where two parties that endorse sons-of-the-soil agenda – Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) – were born. But the issues the two are raising are completely different. While the Sena is invoking Article 370 to seek votes, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is keeping its focus on local issues.

HT Image

The two parties are in a direct fight in Mahim constituency that includes a significant part of Dadar including Prabhadevi and Shivaji Park, where both the Shiv Sena and MNS were founded, Matunga and Mahim. The constituency is also prestigious for the Sena because it houses its headquarters, the Shiv Sena Bhavan. In 2009, the newly formed MNS won the seat, while the Sena wrested it back in 2014. This time, too, both the Sena and MNS are locked in a bitter tussle. The Shiv Sena has renominated sitting MLA Sada Sarvankar, while the MNS has fielded its senior leader Sandip Deshpande. The Congress has fielded Pravin Naik, an architect.

The Sena has been campaigning aggressively. The party is vocal about national issues including scrapping of Article 370. “The Shiv Sena has tried to evoke Article 370, but we are fighting on local issues,” said Deshpande.

The issues in this constituency include pending redevelopment of old buildings due to dispute between landlords and tenants, increasing traffic volume, illegal hawking and parking.

Prabhakar Patil, who lives in over 80-year-old building on Gokhale Road, said, “The redevelopment is stuck for 25 years…Several new buildings are being redeveloped, but the width of the roads in this area has not changed.”

Another resident, Meenal Wagal who lives on Senapati Bapat Marg, said, “Be it MNS or Shiv Sena, no-one comes to ask for votes or problems in middle-class societies like ours”

Apart from the dominant Marathi population, several old buildings that have redeveloped now have Gujarati-speaking and Jain voters. “The changing voter demographics [Gujarati and Jain voters] will help us. The constituency lacks in facilities, be it health, jobs for locals, hawking or traffic,” said Naik.

Chirag Nimkar, a resident of Dadar, said, “Only two parties are seen campaigning in Dadar, the MNS and Shiv Sena.”