By Pamela Raghunath
Mumbai, Apr 9 : Former MP Kirit Somaiya of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does not give the impression of someone with mass appeal. But Mumbaikars have not failed to notice his doggedness in pursuing issues that concern the city - be it to protect small investors, cleaning up the Mithi River, demanding timely relief for victims of terrorist attacks, or exposing scams by collecting information through RTI Act (Right to Information Act) applications. Last month, Somaiya wrote to the chief election commissioner demanding an inquiry into efforts to register bogus voters in the suburb of Mankhurd that falls under his Mumbai North-East constituency.
A few days back, at a workers' rally in Bhandup, he promised to stop load-shedding, bring down prices of 17 essential commodities, improve the functioning of Central Railway, complete the six-lane highway expansion between Kurla and Thane and bring to book the culprits who imported cheap quality wheat unfit for human consumption.
With a reputation for relentlessly pursuing his goals, he himself says, "I don't have to do much campaigning because people are already familiar with my work."
Yet, for all his confidence, Somaiya is a middle class voter's candidate and how the slum dwellers - constituting nearly 70 per cent of the votes in this seat - perceive his work can make or break his chances in these elections.
Preferred by the BJP high command over Poonam Mahajan, daughter of the late Pramod Mahajan, Somaiya will be relying heavily on the Gujarati community. Voters are certain to compare his work with his rivals contesting from this seat that covers the Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar, Ghatkopar East, Ghatkopar West, Vikhroli, Bhandup and Mulund areas.
The Nationalist Congress Party's candidate, Sanjay Patil, an elected MLA from Bhandup, has already started campaigning in full swing and is confident of obtaining the votes of slumdwellers and Dalits.
The Bahujan Samaj Party of UP Chief Minister Mayawati has fielded Ashok Singh as its candidate with an eye on the Dalit-Muslim votebank.
Somaiya's chances could also be spoiled by Shishir Shinde of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena who expects his enthusiasm in taking up the cause of the local Marathis as a big plus point.
In this constituency of 1.57 million voters, Maharashtrians constitute 35 per cent, Gujaratis 20 per cent, North Indians 17 per cent, Muslims 12 per cent, Dalits 10 per cent, Sikhs 5 per cent and Christian-Sindhis 1 per cent.
