Mumbai: BJP MP's work leaves much to be desired

The Mumbai North central is India's most 'popular' Lok Sabha constituency. Most of the Bollywood actors reside in their swanky sea-facing bungalows and apartments here. In 2014, BJP's Poonam Mahajan defeated the two-time Congress MP Priya Dutt by 1.80 lakh votes. Mumbai North Central is a constituency is dominated by north Indians, minority and Dalit communities.

Since Dutt has informed her party leaders in Delhi that she did not want to contest in 2019, there are faces like UP Congress president Raj Babbar, cricketer and Congress ex-MP Mohammad Azharuddin and Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam to be in fray.

Despite having high-profile voters and personalities, Mumbai North Central has its own slew of local and inherent issues. "We expected that Poonam Mahajan will take up the Metro line issue during her tenure. We had requested her to change the proposed plan from overhead to underground," said Shyam Kulkarni, citizen activist and trustee of AGNI – the social activist group.

Kulkarni said that people from suburbs pay high amount taxes in comparison to the residents of the island city. "Despite this, we have got the overhead Metro, and that has affected many in the Bandra area. Whenever we call our MP, she is hardly available; that is because she is either in her Worli residence or in Delhi for parliamentary work. Mahajan should have her office in our area since she got elected from it," Kulkarni said.

People of Bandra complained that overhead Metro has eaten 24 ft out of a total of the 90-ft road. "It has resulted in frequent traffic congestions and accidents. It has led to noise and air pollution. 

Footpaths have also been reduced forcing pedestrians take the road. Mahajan should have taken up these people-centric issues," said Congress leader and ex-MLA Baba Siddique. Siddique is also one of the contenders for a ticket for this seat.

Siddique said that due to the proposed coastal road, fishermen of the area are worried. "The fishermen had demanded adequate space between the two pillars of the proposed coastal road so that they easily go out in the sea and come back," Siddique said.

Anil Galgali, social and RTI activist, said that the constituency has two railway terminals --- Bandra and Kurla. "In evening, there is no space in Kurla station to even stand. People face a stampede-like situation there day in and day out. Poonam Mahajan should have made a master plan to decongest these stations. We had demanded a new railway route from Kurla to Bandra. That plan has also not worked out yet," Galgali said.

He further said the airport affected slums dwellers have not yet been shifted even though the rehabilitation building is ready for the last four years.

"If the slum dwellers were shifted, we would have got more space for airport expansion. The air traffic would have also eased out. We met our MP several times and put forth all these demands, but it has fallen on deaf ear," alleged Galgali.

Galgali also claimed that during rainy season, most of these areas get water logged instantly. "The issues of slum dwellers have not been addressed. They demanded pukka houses in rehabilitation. We had demanded an increase in the number of subsidised food distribution centres so that people do not need to walk far to get basic foodgrains. She has failed to address all these crucial issues," Galgali claimed.

When contacted, Mahajan said that she was busy with parliament work. However, BJP MLA Parag Alvani from Vile Parle said that his party MP has been working hard to meet the expectations of the people. "We have resolved the airport slum issue. Maharashtra government has framed a policy. Now, it will be implemented. Besides, other issues will be also addressed over a period of time," said Alvani.

STATE OF AFFAIRS: A CLEAR LOOK

Prime issues in the area involve traffic congestions and accidents, rehabilitation problems

CONSTITUENCY PROFILE AND DEMOGRAPHICS

The constituency spans six assembly segments of Vandre West, Vile Parle, Kurla, Kalina, Chandivali, Vandre East. Of these, two seats are represented by BJP, three by Shiv Sena and one by the Congress. It has a total area of 4,355 sq km and an altitude of only 14 m. It is situated along the Arabian Sea on the west coast. This is a cosmopolitan area. About 67.39% of the population is Hindu. Rest comprises Muslim and several other ethnic groups. This constituency is also home to Bollywood actors.

Poonam Mahajan, BJP MP

POLITICAL EQUATIONS

In 2014

Poonam Mahajan got elected from Mumbai North Central constituency. Mahajan defeated her nearest rival and two-time Congress MP Priya Dutt by 1.80 lakh votes in 2014. Interestingly, Mumbai North central is the Congress bastion nurtured by the late Congress MP and film actor Sunil Dutt. 

After her father’s murder in 2006, Poonam Mahajan joined BJP with the encouragement of her uncle late Gopinath Munde, ex-Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Now she’s the National President Bharatiya Janata Party’s Youth Wing. She was also the President of the Basketball Federation of India. She is married to Anand Rao Vejandla, an industrialist from Hyderabad. Her uncle Prakash Mahajan worked in Shiv Sena and MNS.

PERFORMANCE OF MPS

41 Participated in debate
446 Questions in parliaments
4 Private bills
5 Committee memberships

UTILISATION OF MPLADS FUNDS

Rs 25 cr Entitlement to Constituency
Rs 20 cr Fund released by GOI
Rs 18.18 cr Expenditure
Utilisation percentage over amount released: 89.16%
Unspent balance: 3.77%

THUS SPOKE JANATA

Like every other youngster, I expect our MP to work for more industry exposure, job availability, reduce delays in the declaration of university results and an environment where students are allowed to voice their own opinions without any repercussion
— Anuj Pawar, student, Kalina

There is an urgency to widen roads near Bandra railway station considering the fact that traffic congestion in this locality is an everyday phenomenon. Our MP should bring strict law that will help reduce traffic and tackle the menace of illegal parking of autos
— Md Shanu, shopkeeper, Bandra

Apart from the menace of traffic congestion, spilling of garbage on road and encroachment of footpaths and railway platforms by local vendors should be taken into consideration soon. Also, monopoly of auto drivers on city roads  needs to be stopped 
— Amrin Moger, lecturer, Kurla

I am satisfied with Poonam Mahajan’s performance. The condition of our constituency has never been better, it seen a lot of development in her tenure. The local issues are now been taken up in the Parliament and the voice of the common man is  being heard there. 
— Santosh Mishra, bizman, Chandivali