The constituency is the most eclectic in Mumbai with 14,39,770 voters; out of which 6,10,480 are Marathis, 2,76,198 Muslims, 1,71483 South Indians, and 20,4,444 North Indians.
The South Central Lok Sabha constituency in Mumbai is re-witnessing a contest between current Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale and former two times Congress MP and veteran leader Eknath Gaikwad. One of the most eclectic constituencies in Mumbai, the constituency houses the Shiv Sena pocket borough of Mahim and Chembur and Anushaktinagar. It also houses Asia's largest slum Dharavi, whose redevelopment has been finalised by a developer, and Railways has given 45 acre of its land to help the cause.
The constituency is the most eclectic in Mumbai with 14,39,770 voters; out of which 6,10,480 are Marathis, 2,76,198 Muslims, 1,71483 South Indians, and 20,4,444 North Indians. The constituency in 2004 was upset when Eknath Gaikwad defeated erstwhile Lok Sabha Speaker and Shiv Sena Leader Manohar Joshi by a margin of 13,329 votes. In a rejigged South Central constituency in 2009, following delimitation, Gaikwad won again defeating Sena's Suresh Gambhir by 75,706 votes. MNS candidate who stood third with 1,08,341 votes also aided Gaikwad's win.
Gaikwad thinks Sena has wasted an opportunity and indulged only in verbal rhetoric. As an MLA and an MP of the region for 40 years he has created a storm water drain system in Dharavi and made it flooding free. The Sena has not fulfilled a single promise in the last 5 years and is now using emotive issues, feels Gaikwad.
"I proposed a house of 300 sq ft for each family of Dharavi following redevelopment. The Shivsena insisted for 400 and cancelled my scheme. Not a single brick of Dharavi was laid in the last five years. The Sena workers are angry with their leaders doing an alliance with the BJP. The candidate is currently moving around with scrap discards of Congress," said Gaikwad.
However, MP Rahul Shewale opines that youth is on his side. Besides under his tenure the area has seen overall development including schools and colleges for Muslims. He thinks that work will take precedence over communities and religion. The constituency houses Raj Thackeray's residence who is giving fiery speeches all over the state to unseat the BJP. However, Rahul remains unfazed by it.
"Despite Raj Thackeray's speeches, MNS voters in absence of a party candidate will vote for Sena as the Congress had pitted a weak candidate. I have been a Dharavi boy and have seen Gaikwad do nothing for the area," quipped Shewale.
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 "Rahul Shewale and Eknath Gaikwad")
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"I proposed a house of 300 sq ft for each family of Dharavi following redevelopment. The Shivsena insisted for 400 and cancelled my scheme. Not a single brick of Dharavi was laid in the last five years. The Sena workers are angry with their leaders doing an alliance with the BJP. The candidate is currently moving around with scrap discards of Congress," said Gaikwad.
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