In lone CPM Maharashtra seat, its MLA’s humble roots are the party’s biggest plus

“I cognize galore present volition ballot for maine arsenic a campaigner of the CPI(M). Many others who whitethorn not needfully hold with the party’s ideology volition besides ballot for me, for who I americium arsenic an individual. In these past 5 years, I person remained disposable for all. In these parts, the conflict continues to beryllium for basal amenities similar electricity, water, ration, healthcare, schools,” Nikole said.

His run has mostly been centred connected a bid of small-scale nationalist meetings successful villages of Dahanu, galore without immoderate fanfare oregon adjacent a stage. CPI(M) Politburo leaders Brinda Karat and Ashok Dhawale, who is besides the president of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), campaigned for Nikole past week. The CPI(M) is besides contesting 2 different seats – Kalwan successful Nashik territory and Solapur City Central, wherever it is engaged successful a affable combat with MVA state Congress.

In Dahanu, the CPI(M)’s clasp is credited to the enactment done astatine the grassroots level by the enactment and affiliated organisations similar the AIKS and Kashtakari Sanghatana, an NGO that works with tribal communities, implicit the years. The AIKS’s relation successful the 1975 Warli tribal revolt done its leaders Shamrao Parulekar and Godavari Parulekar helped laic the instauration for the Left. Many who attended Nikole’s nationalist meetings said they would proceed to ballot for the CPI(M) fixed the enactment and its affiliates person stood by them connected issues relating onshore and wood rights.

In a spot that has historically been dominated by the Congress, the CPI(M) has won present 3 times – successful 1978, 2009 and 2019. In the 2019 Assembly elections, Nikole won his archetypal predetermination by astir 4,700 votes to wrest the spot from the past incumbent BJP. At the time, helium had been unofficially backed by the Congress and the past undivided NCP.

This year, arsenic the authoritative MVA campaigner successful Dahanu, Nikole faces contention from the BJP’s Vinod Medha. While Nikole is banking connected his outreach efforts and the CPI(M)’s long-running clasp successful the seat, particularly among the tribal communities including the Warlis, Medha has been handpicked to garner votes from his hometown successful the Talasari taluka, which falls wrong the Dahanu constituency and wherever the CPI(M) has besides traditionally held the panchayat samiti.

Located astir 150km northbound of Mumbai, Dahanu lies adjacent to the Gujarat border. While the BJP is considered to person much enactment successful the Dahanu metropolis area, the CPI(M) has much backing successful the tribal-dominated areas, including the Talasari tehsil.

In the coastal parts of the constituency, the Vadhavan Port task successful the neighbouring Palghar constituency has been a contentious contented for the sportfishing communities here. Shiv Sena (UBT) main Uddhav Thackeray has promised the MVA volition cancel the project, for which the instauration chromatic was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi successful August, if it comes to power.

“This is not going to beryllium an contented for voters. They cognize that the larboard volition lone make employment opportunities for the youth. People are besides focusing connected the schemes of this government. We person chiefly focused connected informing radical astir the ongoing schemes and the projected ones. That unsocial volition person voters,” says Jagdish Rajput, erstwhile BJP corporator successful Dahanu.

But Nikole says helium is against specified announcements of schemes, including those successful the MVA manifesto. “There should beryllium a committedness of employment instead,” helium says, adding that helium is inactive opposed to the Vadhavan Port task and would alternatively invited companies offering sustainable improvement for the region.