With a day to go before the voters exercise their right to franchise, dna talks to Congress candidate Baba Siddiqui, one of the front-runners in the all-important Bandra West constituency, as to why he thinks people should vote for him. Excerpts:
Q. Security has been a major concern in your constituency. You being at the helm of affairs, what have you done to curb crimes like chain snatching, bag-lifting, eve teasing etc?
A. Yes it is true. There have been such instances and hence we have installed over 200 CCTV cameras all over the constituency. In fact, they have also helped cops prevent robberies and detect cases. You can check police records, the cameras have helped in solving 16 cases to date. We are in the process of installing more such cameras to make our area more vigilant.
Q. After the Lok Sabha election results, why would people vote for the Congress?
A. Now, people have found that inflation has gone up and corruption too has not stopped at all. People here have accepted me as their family member. From providing safety and security to getting different communities together, or say, from development to saving space for religious places, playgrounds and gardens etc, we have done everything. We have also built promenades, undertaken beautification of the area and, above all, stood by the people all the time. People here have faith in me.
Q. There have been issues of sanitation due to large number slums in your area. What has been done about it?
A. Around 750 PSC Blocks (toilets) were constructed and repaired, which not only provided sanitation but also curbed the spread of diseases due to unhygienic condition. We have also worked on beautification. Bandra Bandstand and Carter Road promenades are the landmarks of Bandra. The Carter Road promenade was extended up to Danda, which earlier was a dumping ground. Not only this, a garbage dumping area at Sherly Rajan near Carter Apartment was cleaned and beautified into a mini-park with benches for the local residents. On Turtollian Road, step were constructed to connect with Mount Mary Road.
Q. There have been huge Muslim support for you. Recently, north Indians and Sindhis have been supportive to you. What about the Christians? Do you think they are your voters?
Yes, Christians are our supporters in a huge way. I am a people's person. I've never played community-based politics. If you see, Darryl Monte, Bandra gymkhana president Carmel Gonsalves, the East India Society, Sabastian Society and many are in our support and have been part of our rallies too.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}