Mumbai: “Varun Sardesai, tum aage badho, hum tumhaare saath hain (lead us),” rents the air as Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Bandra East candidate takes out a procession through Bharat Nagar in Bandra East, an area dominated by the minority community, on Tuesday evening. Despite Sardesai being delayed by over an hour, Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP) workers enthusiastically line up along the road to receive him, and women wait with aarti thalis at the entrance of Valimiki Nagar to offer a traditional welcome.
His arrival raises the energy and the atmosphere turns festive—firecrackers seek to drown out drums and cymbals. Soon, a large crowd gathers around Sardesai, who starts his procession through the congested main road of Bharat Nagar. Among his promises for the constituency is supporting Bharat Nagar’s redevelopment through Mhada.
Workers carry mashaals and petals are showered on Sardesai at multiple reception points. The crowd jostling for space includes a large number of Muslim community members. The procession winds its way through the narrow lanes of Bharat Nagar and Patthar Nagar. Sardesai makes brief stops and enters housing societies—appeals are made through the public address system that a “highly educated candidate” is seeking the blessings of the people. Slogans of ‘Mashaal pe apna mohar lagaye (vote for Sena (UBT))’ are heard repeatedly.
At one location, Sardesai addresses the crowd briefly and asks them if they’d vote for BJP. “No,” quickly comes the response. Sardesai also seeks assurance from the people that they will stay with MVA.
“This kid will win. I have never seen such an attendance in a rally and that too without people being given money,” says Sayyed Kasim, a resident of Bharat Nagar.
Contrasting Sardesai’s campaign with that of his rival, NCP candidate and incumbent MLA Zeeshan Siddique, Maulana Siddiqui, a resident of Dnyaneshwar Nagar, says the Siddique camp has abstained from displaying Sena and BJP’s flags and symbols in minority camps. “Other than the ‘clock’ (NCP’s poll symbol), no symbol or flag of either BJP or Sena have been displayed by Zeeshan’s supporters in the area. Zeeshan may have done some work for the constituency, but by joining the Ajit Pawar faction, which is aligned with BJP, he has made Muslims turn against him. Besides, after Uddhav Thackeray became the CM, there was good governance.”
Vinod Gupta, Congress Seva Dal office bearer, says party workers are working “wholeheartedly” for Sardesai.