The BJP and Congress will both look to cash in on the hostility that exists among the North Indians against the Raj Thackeray's MNS.
It will be all about ‘Raj’ niti (policies) in the run-up to elections in the Mumbai North constituency.
The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress will both look to cash in on the hostility that exists among the North Indians against the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirmal Sena (MNS).
The constituency has close to 3 lakh North Indian voters, who make up over 18% of the total electorate. The MNS, which is also contesting the elections, will seek to tap the sizeable Marathi voters’ base of 32%,
by continuing to play the anti-migrant stand.
The MNS has been targeting North Indians in Mumbai and its extended suburbs over the last couple of years, saying their migration to the city was taking away jobs from the natives.
Stalwart politician Ram Naik is contesting from Mumbai North on the BJP ticket while the Congress has nominated Sanjay Nirupam. MNS general secretary Shirish Parkar is also contesting from this constituency. Both the BJP and the Congress are hoping to draw the lion’s share of the North Indian vote, believing that this section’s support can play a crucial role in deciding the winner.
While the BJP has decided to attack the Congress for the state Congress-led state government’s inaction against the MNS, the Congress plans to use Nirupam’s popularity amongst North Indians to get them on their side. “We will remind the voters that Nirupam’s was the only political voice that spoke out strongly against Raj’s tirade,” said a senior Congress leader, Rajendra Chaube.
The BJP organised a melava (gathering) of its North Indian workers in Malad on April 1. At the meeting, the BJP asked its workers to highlight how the Congress was tardy in taking action against the MNS when the latter was targeting North Indians in the city.
Senior leaders said the BJP believed that North Indians are an integral part of Mumbai’s culture and that the party would not allow them being traumatised in any manner. Ram Naik also spoke about the party’s work towards the welfare of tabela (cow and buffalo shed) owners, most of whom are North Indians, and implementing of reservations for the Yadav caste.
Apart from the Marathi-speaking community and North Indians, the constituency also has a sizeable presence of Gujarati and Marwari voters, most of who belong to the business class and have traditionally favoured the BJP.
While Naik is favoured to win the seat, a senior Congress leader said that if the party managed to win over the North Indians, it could emerge victorious.
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