BJP tried to stoke communal tension for last 2 years but failed: Congress Malad West candidate Aslam Shaikh

How is the campaigning going truthful far? What is your speechmaking of this election?

Aslam Shaikh: This clip besides it is going to beryllium a one-sided contention successful Malad West, rather akin to what everyone has been seeing since 2009.

Nobody from the Mahayuti confederation wanted to contention against maine from this seat.

They (BJP-Shiv Sena) tried to tract galore elder leaders here, but cipher agreed to contest.

Malad West is simply a spot that the Mahayuti confederation knows they cannot win.

Therefore, they person fielded a caller contestant who is not adjacent a local.

You are vocal astir scrapping the Dharavi Redevelopment Project.

Shaikh: We are going to scrap this task erstwhile elected to power.

It has besides been mentioned successful our manifesto.

Throughout our campaign, we person maintained our stance and noticed that radical don’t privation this task either.

We cognize this is conscionable different land-grabbing determination disguised arsenic development.

The ruling BJP-Sena authorities has made a mistake by campaigning for the project.

Don’t you deliberation this task volition payment those surviving successful slum clusters by providing them with ceremonial housing?

Shaikh: As portion of the projected plan, the authorities plans to relocate astir 1 lakh radical to Malad from Dharavi slums.

Why are they not uncovering suitable ways to rehabilitate them successful Dharavi itself?

They are calved and brought up there.

They are accustomed to surviving successful that place.

Already Malad West has 3,50,000 voters.

What volition beryllium the concern if different 1 lakh radical are brought here?

This is not practicable and each existing infrastructure volition autumn short, nary substance however hard 1 tries.

In 2014, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) campaigner successful Malad West polled 14,000 votes, reducing your triumph borderline to 2,300. This clip the MNS hasn’t fielded immoderate campaigner but determination are expectations that BJP’s Vinod Shelar volition beryllium capable to get the enactment of the Marathi ballot bank.

Shaikh: When I was elected for the archetypal time, my borderline of triumph was astir 29,000.

This time, I volition triumph by 25,000-50,000 votes.

I americium a section boy, calved and brought up here.

Before becoming an MLA, I served arsenic a corporator.

I americium well-versed with the issues plaguing this constituency and I volition ever basal with my voters, travel what may.

The BJP campaigner fielded by the Mahayuti confederation is an outsider and cipher volition judge that person.

Last year, determination were communal clashes successful the constituency. Do you deliberation this volition interaction the elections?

Shaikh: In the past 2 years, BJP-Sena leaders person tried their champion to stoke communal hostility successful the country but they person failed miserably.

At first, they (Mahayuti) tried to play the Dalit card, past the section Dalit assemblage told them that they were making a mistake by spreading propaganda successful the community’s name.

Their Hindu-Muslim docket besides didn’t work.

People are nary fools, they spot and recognize everything.

The Mahayuti has alleged that you play individuality politics.

Shaikh: That’s not true.

I person been the section MLA since 2009, ever since the constituency was formed.

People crossed communities ballot for me.

Besides, Muslims and Hindus, Malad besides has a important colonisation of Catholics and tribals.

They each ballot for me.

It’s the BJP-Sena that has been banking connected divisive politics.

What is your imaginativeness for Malad West if you’re elected for different 5 years?

Shaikh: This constituency has bully hospitals, roads, and commercialized establishments.

My archetypal precedence aft getting re-elected volition beryllium to make a recreational nine for youngsters.

At present, the younker are deprived of unfastened spaces, and considering the authorities is handing plots to backstage developers similar freebies, I volition purpose to reclaim those plots and make parks and clubs connected them.

Another absorption of excavation volition beryllium to fortify the infrastructure further.

Last time, I had sanctioned 5 bridge/flyover projects for my constituency including the T-shaped flyover astatine Mith Chowky, which has opened partially and is acceptable to go afloat operational by December 31.

Another task I privation to instrumentality up successful the adjacent word is the operation of a flyover connecting Madh and Versova.