He has earned the distinction of being the biggest giant killer in Mumbai. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and winning candidate from Bandra (West) Ashish Shelar has done something which was unthinkable some time back — defeating Congress strongman and three-time MLA Baba Siddique in his own backyard. Shelar spoke exclusively to dna's Amrita Nayak Dutta after his victory. Excerpts:
You have managed to defeat three-time winning Congress MLA Baba Siddique by 26,911 votes. How does it feel?
I'm happy that people of Bandra supported me. Now, I have to live up to their expectations.
Bandra (West) constituency has two distinct classes, the slum dwellers and the uber rich. How do you plan to cater to needs of both?
There are certain things that both need. Cleanliness, encroachment-free space, good infrastructure, and proper law and order are some of the things. I will focus on these factors during my term. I want to restore the past glory of Bandra.
What do you think is the one factor that drove people to vote for you, and not Baba Siddique? Is it the anti-incumbency factor or is it because he failed the people?
The latter goes without saying. And yes, the anti-incumbency factor did play a role.
Now that you have become a giant killer, will you stake claim for a ministerial berth?
No. I want to work for the citizens here and I'm happy doing that. I'm not looking for any such position.
Would you attribute your win to the Modi wave?
Yes, the Modi factor definitely helped. That apart, it was good to see that people from all communities responded positively to me, including the Christians and Muslims. The response has been stronger than the Lok Sabha elections.
What Baba Siddiqui has to say
Congress MLA Baba Siddique, who lost to BJP's Ashish Shelar by a huge margin, said he is too shocked to react. "I accept the verdict of the people. My brochures talk about all the work I have done during my term. Despite that, if people don't vote, I can't do anything but accept their decision," he said.
Asked if the Congress high command could have propagated the candidates more widely as the BJP did, he said the party has done its bit. "Whether it is the Modi factor or the anti-incumbency factor, the fact is BJP won and I wish Mr Ashish Shelar all the best," he added.
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