NCP, Samajwadi Party and BJP may mar the Congress prospects to capture 20 per cent North-Indian vote bank to its fold.
Rising political aspirations and lucrative offers from three prominent political parties — NCP, Samajwadi Party and BJP may mar the Congress prospects to capture 20 per cent North-Indian vote bank to its fold.
Top Congress leadership fears that sharp differences within the north Indian leaders in Mumbai could fragment them on caste and community lines. Party strategists are trying to work out some formulae to bring the faction ridden north-Indians together.
According to a Congress general secretary, “Unlike in the past north Indians are likely to vote on caste lines as NCP, BJP and Samajwadi Party’s national leadership is negotiating with local units.”
While NCP is banking on Nawab Mullick and Abhiram Sigh to capture “outsiders”, the Samajwadi Party (SP) has floated the Muslim-Yadav (MY) formulae to split the Congress north Indian votes. The BJP is targeting the upper caste north-Indians, projecting former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as its mascot. The BJP has announced president Rajnath Singh and former chief minister Kalyan Singh will extensively campaign for their party with a single mission to capture the north Indians.
Home Minister R R Patil asserts, “We have made inroads among the north Indians in Mumbai in the last five years.”
Of the total 85 lakh electorate, almost 18 lakh are north Indians. Uttar Bhartiya Front chief Sanjay Nirupam said, “I will appeal to the north Indian voters to chose Congress. I hope the top leadership will also keep the north Indian angle in mind.”
The Shiv Sena, having sworn by son-of-the-soil, has almost frittered away this segment. It will have to cling on to 26 per cent Marathi vote bank. In Congress, the big four north Indians are Kripashankar Singh, Raj Hans, R R Singh and Sanjay Nirupam. While Kripashankar has following among the Thakurs in Santacruz, Vakola and Borivali (E), the former mayor R R Singh weilds clout among the Kurmis (OBCs).
Nirupam has some following among the sizeable non-Brahmins and non-Thakurs. Abhiram Singh, who defected from Congress to NCP, is trying to woo north Indians from the Congress base in western suburbs.
Mullick has influence in some pockets of Kurla and Nerul among the Muslism north Indians. The BJP is also looking forward to extract some share from the Congress’ traditional north Indians. Jaiprakash Thakur (Kandivli) and Raju Sharma are BJP’s loyal local north Indian faces in suburbs.
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