Shiv Sena politicos strike gold at MHADA lottery

On Sunday, Shiv Sena leaders and party workers had an extremely lucky day at the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) lottery. Shakha pramukh Vinod Shirke won MHADA's most expensive house priced at Rs 5.80 crore, while Ramdas Kamble, a corporator from Sion's Pratiksha Nagar, won a house in Powai. Moreover, Sena's MP from Nashik, Hemant Godse, won a house, while corporator Atul Shah won a flat in Kandivali.

Shirke's case is the most unique, however. He won two of the three most expensive houses sold by MHADA. Both flats are located in Dhavalgiri building at Cumballa Hill; one flat costs Rs 5.80 crore, while the other costs Rs 4.99 crore. However, given MHADA rules, he would have to give up his claim on one of the two.

Shirke said he had applied 19 times for a MHADA house. Even last year, he won a house in Kandivali but gave it up because he didn't like the condition it was in, continuing to live in his BIT chawl house in Agripada, where his current dwellings are much smaller than the houses on offer.

As per MHADA rules, the high-income category houses are for people with a monthly income of above Rs 75,000. When contacted, Shirke said wasn't aware about the exact details of the house, but raising Rs 5 crore would be a tall order for an IT architect. "For 17 years, I have worked as a chief IT architect. I am hopeful of generating the amount required for the flat to be purchased from MHADA. If required, I may even opt for a housing loan. But I am very happy to win the house, because that's the kind of money that's required to own a house in Mumbai. I plan to move into this house once options regarding financing are done," he said.

Meanwhile, Kamble, who became a corporator after winning bypolls earlier this year, had also applied for the MHADA lottery nine times. This time, he too won a house in the high-income category. "This year has been lucky for us. My brother won the elections, while the lottery has fulfilled our dreams of owning a house. We have been living on rent for almost a decade," said brother Sandeep Kamble.

MP Hemant Godse, however, was first time lucky. "I am happy to have a house in Mumbai. I applied for a place in Lower Parel, and am happy to win it," he said.

It wasn't just Sena all the way, however. BJP corporator Atul Shah, a former MLA, also won a house in Kandivali. "I stay with my mother and don't have a house of my own in Mumbai. Thankfully, by the grace of God and my mother's blessings, I won this apartment. I am happy beyond words," he said.

While politicos had luck on their side, even commoners who had been trying for years to get a house went back home happy. Rameez Tadvi won a house in Antop Hill, while his father and mother both won houses in Kandivali. It rarely happens that three members of a single family all win houses, but these Titwala residents have bucked that trend.