The Shaina effect: Congress candidate makes a show of ‘respect for women’

Patel has resorted to this “firefighting” successful the look of a backlash implicit the alleged derogatory remarks made by his state Uddhav Sena’s South Mumbai MP Arvind Sawant against his rival Shaina N C, the manner decorator and erstwhile BJP nationalist spokesperson contesting the Mumbadevi spot connected a summons of the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

Sawant faces an FIR registered by the Mumbai constabulary connected Shaina’s complaint, pursuing which helium expressed an apology, saying that his comments were “misrepresented”.

While canvassing for Patel successful Mumbadevi recently, Sawant had targeted Shaina by purportedly saying that “imported maal nahi chalega, archetypal maal chalega”. Shaina has since besides flagged the “insensitive” comments made by Sena (UBT) MLA Sunil Raut against different Shinde Sena pistillate leader.

Patel says helium is alert that the contention against Shaina, a nonmigratory of Malabar Hill, is simply a “high-profile” one, but helium wants to “keep it elemental by bringing the absorption backmost connected my works successful the constituency”.

Contesting arsenic a Congress candidate, Patel won against the past undivided Shiv Sena’s Anil Padwal successful 2009 by implicit 17,000 votes and against the BJP’s Atul Shah successful 2014 by implicit 9,000 votes, erstwhile the expansive aged enactment could triumph lone 5 seats successful Mumbai.

In 2019, Patel clinched the spot by his highest triumph borderline truthful far, 23,655 votes, against the Sena’s Pandurang Sakpal. In the caller Lok Sabha elections, Sawant took a pb of implicit 40,000 votes from the Mumbadevi segment.

Shaina’s run seems to beryllium banking connected the “anti-incumbency sentiment” against the Congress legislator. Patel has nevertheless claimed that helium is not facing immoderate anti-incumbency due to the fact that of his “consistent performance”.

The constituency has a colonisation of 2.41 lakh, with Muslims accounting for its 50.9 per cent.

“One of the main issues successful Mumbadevi has been redevelopment since astir of the buildings are precise old. I person pushed for clump redevelopment to guarantee that determination are amenities fixed to the residents which whitethorn not beryllium imaginable if each gathering is individually redeveloped,” Patel says. “The SBUT (Saifee Burhani Upliftment Project) clump redevelopment is operational. The Kamathipura redevelopment task excessively is an important task. Its tender documents are acceptable and we volition spell up with different formalities, instantly aft the elections.”

The Congress seasoned says helium has worked connected acquisition by opening the English BMC schools and 5 survey centres for students.

“I cognize that contempt being elected thrice, determination is overmuch to bash arsenic it is simply a changeless enactment successful progress. My program for adjacent word is to person a accomplishment improvement centre successful the area. Usually, specified centres person classes for the younker to larn plumbing, electrical work. I privation to grow that to thatch them robotics, bid them successful AI, truthful that they get jobs successful the future,” Patel says.

Shaina says her spot is her “honesty and humility”. “I judge radical would link with me, careless of who my hostile is. I americium genuinely dedicated to serving my constituency and person nary volition of aligning with builder lobbies. The ‘N C’ successful my sanction stands for non-corruptible. I prioritise improvement implicit ballot slope authorities and bash not prosecute successful appeasement of immoderate circumstantial group, each are adjacent to me,” she says.

On Sawant’s remarks against her, Shaina says the concerns implicit objectification of women indispensable beryllium addressed.

Patel sounds cautiously optimistic that his works would make resonance among his voters. “This constituency needs idiosyncratic who is disposable for them astatine each times. I cognize the area, its challenges, its people. The aforesaid cannot beryllium said of my opponent,” helium says.

In his thoroughfare campaign, astir of the announcements made by his campy look to beryllium aimed astatine countering the Mahayuti government’s Ladki Bahin Yojana – which gives Rs 1,500 monthly allowance to underprivileged women crossed the state. The Congress supporters contiguous successful the rally concede that this strategy is “popular among women”.

Patel nevertheless says: “We (Opposition MVA) person announced guarantees including monthly fiscal assistance of Rs 3,000 for women. The Mahayuti’s strategy is an predetermination gimmick. They could person implemented it instantly aft coming to powerfulness but it was lone done successful the run-up to the Assembly elections.”