The pact is that if elected, the Shiv Sena corporators will hold a monthly meeting with residents to solve their problems
With just another ten days to go for the Thane civic polls, the city is busy doing permutation and combination about the outcome. However, residents of the plush Vasant Vihar housing complex in Thane West have already made up their mind to vote for the Shiv Sena. But not before sealing a deal with the party. And the deal is that if elected, a panel of Shiv Sena corporators will hold a monthly meeting with the residents and solve all their pending issues.
As per the new panel system introduced by the State Election Commission, each ward will have a panel of four corporators who will work towards the development of the ward. Each voter will have to elect four candidates, one for each seat.
The break-up of the Sena-BJP alliance before the election has clearly paved the way for residents of ward number 5 of Thane to decide their candidates. The residents claim that the existing corporators have barely contributed to the development of the ward and, thus, they have decided to give the saffron party a chance this time. "In the past 25 years there has hardly been any development in our ward. The existing corporators are of no use," said K Kumar, Chairman, Vasant Vihar Apex Body. "Hence, we have decided to vote for a panel of Sena corporators who are ready to work for our ward," he added.
Though it comes across as another trial and error selection process of corporators by voters, it is a well-thought-out strategy. One of the Sena candidates from ward 5 is Parisha Sarnaik, wife of Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik.
"Usually, corporators give this excuse that they are not from the ruling party, and hence, are not able to bring about development. But our MLA, and MP Eknath Shinde are from Sena. If the corporator is also from the same party, then it will surely help to further the cause of all the residents," he said.
Moreover, it has been the Sena which approached the residents to know more about their issues. "No other party has come forward to address us till date," said another resident. Some of the pending issues which the residents want to be resolved are proper footpaths, fencing on footpaths, trimming of trees and connection of drainage lines among other things. Even the sole auditorium in the area Dr Kashinath Ghanekar is closed for a year, forcing residents to organise social/cultural programmes on open grounds. "The Sena has promised that their panel will meet us every month and address our issues," said Kumar.
The Vasant Vihar housing complex in Thane West has 82 buildings with 3,800 families and 5,000 voters. The ward also has other major residential societies like Lokpuram and Siddhachal and the combined strength of these three complexes is 9,000 voters approximately.
"Every year, the state government awards Vartak ward for the maximum amount of tax collection as we are honest tax payers. But the development of the area does not reflect that," added Kumar. "Till date the Sena has been considered as a party which receives their votes from the slum population. But plush societies opting for Sena shows a major turn around in its image," said a senior political analyst who did not wish to be named.
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