top of page

By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

MVA protests for third day:

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies continued their agitation for the third day in different parts of Maharashtra with an aggressive state Congress hitting the streets today to protest the detention of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra and other Congress leaders yesterday, here on Wednesday. State and city Youth Congress again carried out vociferous protests near Mantralaya raising slogans, carrying banners and placards slamming the...

MVA protests for third day:

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies continued their agitation for the third day in different parts of Maharashtra with an aggressive state Congress hitting the streets today to protest the detention of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra and other Congress leaders yesterday, here on Wednesday. State and city Youth Congress again carried out vociferous protests near Mantralaya raising slogans, carrying banners and placards slamming the state and central Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and when some attempted to enter inside, they were prevented by a strong posse of Mumbai Police deployed there since Monday. As tensions appeared to escalate, the police clamped down by detaining top state and city Youth Congress leaders including President Harshwardhan Sapkal, Vijay Wadettiwar, Bhai Jagtap, Hussain Dalwai, and many others. Thousands of students carried out a fresh demonstration at Dadar west Shivaji Park to vent their ire at the police action on Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s agitation in New Delhi on Monday. Several MVA leaders and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray visited or expressed solidarity with the protesting youth, comprising many women. Opposition’s Voice The Congress leaders alleged that Rahul Gandhi was targeted by the BJP-led government to muzzle democratic dissent, suppress the Opposition voices inside and outside Parliament and trampling upon the peoples' Constitutional Rights to protest peacefully. Defying pouring rains in the city on Wednesday, Congress workers along with activists of MVA allies, staged a noisy demonstration in Chembur and another group attempted to storm the BJP office in south Mumbai, condemning the assault on students in New Delhi and the detention of the Gandhi siblings. Senior Congress leader Hussain Dalwai flayed the government for “misusing the police” to gag democratic rights and the protests were intended to defend the Constitution and democracy against the BJP’s policy of intolerance of dissent in any form. “This is gross injustice. We are not allowed to protest against the government failures as they are misusing the police. The PM is scared of taking the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as he could be the next. We want to highlight to the BJP to govern the country as per the Constitution,” Dalwai declared, interacting with the media at Nariman Point. As the BJP also threatened to launch counter-protests, the police cordoned off and deployed a precautionary security ring around Tilak Bhavan, the state Congress headquarters, as leaders from both sides exchanged political darts and looked aggressive enough for a confrontation. MVA ‘bandh’, ‘Tricolour’ march today The state is set for another two days of political turmoil as the MVA has announced a Maharashtra shutdown (‘bandh’) on Thursday followed by a non-partisan ‘Tricolour Peace March’ on Friday. MVA allies, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Ambedkar and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, besides other leaders of the alliance, informed of the state and city level actions today. Ambedkar appealed to the masses and also the BJP youth to participate wholeheartedly in the bandh tomorrow and claimed that students’ bodies, parent-teachers associations, colleges, universities, other institutes of higher education, private coaching institutions, and other governmental departments could support the shutdown, as it has now become a national issue. Aaditya sought the peoples’ participation in the ‘Tricolour Peace March’ on the theme of “One Nation, One Emotion” planned on July 24 afternoon to Shivaji Park, in support of environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk, the Cockroach Janta Party, plus the youth and students protesting in New Delhi. Terming it as a national citizens’ movement rather than a political party, he called upon the people not to carry any party flags but unite under the National Tricolour to assert democratic rights and express resentment against the government’s high-handed policies. Meanwhile, Mumbai Police have already imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 across the city from July 23-to- August 6, apprehending the possibility of law-and-order disturbances.

Four ex-Mumbai mayors in fray

Mumbai: The upcoming BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections are all set to witness interesting contests as four formers Mayors of Mumbai are locked up in interesting fights which promises to be the toughest one in their political career.


All four are veterans in the BMC…Shraddha Jadhav, Kishori Pednekar, Vishakha Raut and Milind Vaidya who have stood out among their peers for decades and headed various civic committees apart from being the First Citizen of this metropolis. They all are contesting from Shiv Sena (UBT) party headed by Uddhav Thackeray.


Take the case of Shraddha Jadhav, who has been a corporator from 1992 onwards and is contesting for her 7th term. Standing from ward number 202 in Parel, Shraddha is being challenged by Shiv Sena (UBT) activist Vijay Indulkar who is standing as a rebel. After Shraddha’s candidature was announced last week, 128 local Sena office bearers resigned in protest, which was shocking considering that this area is considered as a Sena citadel right from 1970’s. The BJP side is represented by Parth Bavkar, who is a close confidant of popular Wadala legislator Kalidas Kolambkar and there is fear that Parth may sail through if votes are split between Shraddha and Indulkar. Indulkar accuses Shraddha of neglecting this area. “She has undertaken no developmental work in this constituency and the people are against her,” said Indulkar. Shraddha however dismisses Indulkar’s claim as baseless. “This is plain jealously and an attempt to defame our family. If I don’t work how did I get elected from the last 6 terms? I am confident of winning for the 7th term,” countered Shraddha. She was the Mayor of Mumbai from 2009 to 2012.


The second high profile battle is ward number 191 which encompass areas like Siddhivinayak Mandir and Shivaji Park. Here veteran corporator Vishakha Raut who has also served as Dadar legislator is pitted against Priya Sarvankar, daughter of former legislator Sada Sarvankar. Vishakha who served as Mumbai’s Mayor during 1997-1998 is representing Shiv Sena (UBT) while her rival Priya is contesting from Shiv Sena (Shinde) faction. Priya calls Vishakha a failure. “She has been an inaccessible corporator and citizens were left to fend for themselves from the last eight years. People want a young face to represent them,” said Priya. Vishakha Raut laughs down Priya’s claim saying Shiv Sena has a legacy of doing people centric activities from this belt. “We have served the Dadar citizens for decades and this relationship is familial. What are Priya’s achievements except praising her father’s work who was incidentally with our party only,” said Vishakha.


In her neighbourhood, Kishori Pednekar who the mayor from 2019 to 2022 is fighting from ward number 199 at Worli area. The local Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists are angry with her for bad mouthing their leader Raj Thackeray during her tenure as Mayor. In addition, a section of her own party are also up in arms against her. However Pednekar downplays the incident. “If I have said anything wrong about Rajsahjeb, I apologise for the same. Currently both Raj and Uddhav are our leaders and we are fighting the elections under their leadership,” said Pednekar. She had enlisted the help of senior MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar to convince the local MNS cadre to work for her.


The fourth incumbent Milind Vaidya who served as Mumbai Mayor during 1996-1997 had to shift his ward and is contesting from ward number 182 at Mahim from number 183. He is being challenged by BJP candidate Rajan Parkar, who is popular figure from this constituency.

Comments

bottom of page