04 May,2024 12:17 PM IST | Mumbai | Asif Rizvi
Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
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The streets of Bandra east in Mumbai have been witnessing political 'show of strength' and traffic snarls as candidates make their way with hundreds of their supporters to the Collectors office in Kherwadi.
Days after Congress candidates from Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha seat Varsha Gaikwad filed her nomination, senior public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam held a massive roadshow on Friday before filing his nomination from the seat.
The Mumbai North Central seat in Lok Sabha elections 2024 has become vital to the impending poll clash between prominent personalities as Mumbai's political climate heats up.
The Political parties are preparing to fight hard for the crucial Mumbai North Central seat, which has a big influence on the political dynamics of the city, as the upcoming elections in Mumbai near.
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The BJP has announced Ujjwal Nikam as its candidate from the seat, setting the way for a direct contest with Congress, the party has fielded Varsha Gaikwad from the seat.
The BJP chose Nikam over Poonam Mahajan who is the sitting MP from the Mumbai North Central seat. Poonam Mahajan had defeated the incumbent Congress MP Priya Dutt, the daughter of the late actor and Congress leader Sunil Dutt, in 2014
Ujjwal Nikam was instrumental in securing the death sentence for Ajmal Kasab, accused in the 26/11 terror incident.
Nikam received the Padma Shri in 2016 after representing the state in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack trial and a number of other historic cases. Since he is a resident of Jalgaon, the BJP was eager to field him from the district in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Ujjwal Nikam will now face Varsha Gaikwad, the head of the Mumbai Congress unit in the Lok Sabha elections 2024 from the Mumbai North Central seat.
Varsha Gaikwad, the MLA from Dharavi has expressed confidence in winning the seat.
Varsha Gaikwad, a former Maharashtra minister, has been a four-time MLA from the Dharavi assembly constituency in Mumbai that she currently represents.
Gaikwad had expressed interest in contesting the Mumbai South-Central seat, which was earlier held by her late father Eknath Gaikwad.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) comprising the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has shown support towards Gaikwad's candidature.
Meanwhile, amid speculations about former IPS officer Sanjay Pandey contesting from the Mumbai North Central seat as an independent candidate, Pandey, on Wednesday, declared his decision to temporarily withdraw from politics.
Mumbai North Central is a dynamic area with a diversified population that represents a wide range of ethnicities and socioeconomic statuses. The constituency embodies the vibrant spirit of Mumbai's cosmopolitanism, from the quiet neighbourhoods to the busy streets of Bandra and Khar.
Prominent political candidates leading the electoral race are fighting to reflect the hopes and worries of the voters. Prominent figures, supported by their achievements and commitments to further growth, are well-positioned to maintain their posts.
The conversation is dominated by topics that are important to permanent residents of the constituency.
A local resident from the constituency said, "The constituency needs good infrastructure, better roads and footpaths. There is a scope of a better healthcare system, education, environmental sustainability, and urban planning and development."
Another resident from the constituency raised issues of high-quality amenities for a better living.
He said, "The properties in some parts of Mumbai North Central including Bandra and Khar are skyrocketing and if a person is spending that much of his savings one needs better government facilities. There is frequent traffic congestion in many parts of the areas of this seat and it must be resolved. The routine cleanliness of the streets and public spaces is also an issue here that must be attended."
The political campaigns are expected to heat up as the voting for the seat nears, with contenders travelling the entire length and breadth of the constituency, holding public gatherings, grassroots outreach events, and online campaigns to win over the votes.
Mumbai will vote in the fifth and final phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024 and it will take place on May 20, 2024, encompassing 13 constituencies including Mumbai North, Mumbai North West, Mumbai North East, Mumbai North Central, Mumbai South Central, Mumbai South, Washim, Dindori, Nashik, Palghar, Bhiwandi, Washim, Thane.
