Maharashtra elections 2024: Mohammed Arif Naseem Khan confident of support in Mumbai, promises infrastructure, land rights, and a drug-free city

Mohammed Arif Naseem Khan, working president, Maharashtra Congress. PIC/DHARMENDRA JORE

Maharashtra Congress's working president, Mohammed Arif Naseem Khan said that the voters will not polarise based on caste or religion in Maharashtra's November 20 Assembly elections. Khan's narrow 409-vote loss in Chandivli's 2019 Assembly elections continues to be one of the most-talked-about electoral events. The former guardian minister of Mumbai Suburban district and All India Congress Working Committee member spoke with mid-day about his constituency, the capital city of Maharashtra, and the rest of the state.

Excerpts from the interview.

So far, you have won four times and lost once. What will be your and the party's priorities for Mumbai as part of the government?
I won first in 1999 and was an MLA till 2019. In 20 years, I was a minister except for two years. I have worked with four CMs. I lost in 2019 by a whisker, but I did not detach myself from the constituency. I lost because I could not give much time as I was busy as a star campaigner across the state. I think my loss was a shock for the voters as well. I have worked across communities. Apart from focusing on providing basic amenities and development of infrastructure, I played a significant role in bringing Metro-1, constructing JVLR and Saki Vihar Road, making the Centre (Union government) build a base for National Security Guards (NSG) in the city after the 26/11 terror attacks.

One of my top priorities is to provide land ownership rights (deemed conveyance) to the housing societies that are built on government land (MMRDA and MHADA land). People in Powai's Hiranandani project which is built on MMRDA land, or others built on MHADA land, own only structures, not the land. Such issues are everywhere in the city and suburbs. The residents will face serious problems in the future. I want the government to intervene to make a policy to resolve this issue.

Pending slum redevelopment across the city needs to be expedited. Traffic management has gone for a toss. I will propose that parking lots be constructed under the recreation/playgrounds. Thus, the recreation and playgrounds will retain their original status, and also help resolve the parking problem to a great extent. Making Mumbai pollution-free is another priority.

My agenda is to make Chandivli and the rest of Mumbai drug-free. I know the city's problems very well because I have worked as the suburban district's guardian minister and minister of state for home (urban). I insist that what the Mahayuti government has done so far was taking forward the projects that were started/proposed by the Congress government. MTHL, Coastal Road, Metro-3 and other metro lines, Sea Link etc all are our projects.

Will the BJP's 'Ek hai toh safe hai' poll pitch make any difference to your candidature and other segments the MVA is contesting?
Not at all. I welcome the PM's slogan. In fact, 'ek hai toh...' is the Congress' ideology. We have always believed that unity makes the nation stronger. And, if they are talking about 'love and vote jihad' and 'batenge to katenge', it's all election propaganda. People will not fall for it.

Take the example of my constituency that has been electing me. Here, we have Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jains and others in good numbers. It is the city's biggest constituency in terms of number of voters. This constituency has never treated me as the leader of a specific community. If it was so, they wouldn't have re-elected me.

I have built a record number of temples here. The Muslim community has donated to build one of the temples. I have ensured that my constituency has one of the best Ganesh visarjan facilities. So, I believe very strongly that the people will continue to treat me as their own and elect me once again with a good margin.

Why are you so confident?
Yes, I'm very much confident, because BJP-Mahayuti has failed in the past two years. The people have given their verdict in Lok Sabha, and they will repeat it in the Assembly polls. The ruling party is doing politics of polarisation instead of development. Maharashtra will not polarise based on caste and religion. The people are affected a great deal by rising inflation, unemployment, and corruption.