Maharashtra elections 2024: MVA challenges BJP stronghold in Ghatkopar East amidst redevelopment issues

Change is rampant in the Ghatkopar East seat where highrise towers have taken the place of two and threestorey buildings The Opposition believes that it is about time a new face represented the constituency which the BJP has ruled for more than three decades in the AssemblyPrakash Mehta a former BJP minister won the first Assembly election from this seat in 1990 and the constituency has remained a BJP stronghold ever sinceWhile the saffron party seems certain victory is assured the Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA is hoping to capitalise on antiincumbency Rakhi Jadhav a fourtime corporator of the NCPSP is contesting against sitting BJP MLA Parag Shah MNSrsquos Sandeep Kulthe and five others are also in the raceJadhav told midday ldquoIn my 20 years as a corporator I was wellconnected with every voter People are upset with the BJP In 2014 I had less than two weeks to prepare for the election campaign This time I started working months in advancerdquoShah meanwhile said voters were aware of the BJPrsquos work ldquoVoters saw my work during the pandemic I have set up a system to resolve problems which has been much appreciatedrdquo he addedBJP dominance and demographicsIn the 2019 Assembly election Shah bagged 73054 votes registering a 5770 per cent vote share The combined Congress and MNSrsquos numbers were half of the BJPrsquos tally Satish Pawar the MNS candidate secured 19735 votes while Congressrsquos Manisha Surywanshi polled 15735After Marathispeakers at 36 per cent the Gujarati community which accounts for 24 per cent of the electorate abounds in this constituency The Marathi voter will be split by the BJP NCP and MNS Gujarati voters here have favoured the BJP so far The MVA could benefit from Muslim voters who account for 15 per cent of the electorate The alliancersquos candidates also believe that BJPrsquos traditional voter base is for the MVA this time73054No of votes polled by Parag Shah in 201930No of years Ghatkopar East has been represented by a BJP MLACitizenSpeakThe Pant Nagar Garodia Nagar and Naidu Colony areas of Ghatkopar East are dominated by highrises According to residents with the mushrooming of highrises over the past few years parking issues and traffic congestion have risen Other key issues are pollution the malodorous Deonar dumping ground and waterlogging particularly in Pant Nagar and Garodia Nagar Nityanand Nagar and Ramabai Colony are marked by slums The former is undergoing redevelopment while the state government has planned a redevelopment project for the latter said to be Maharashtrarsquos thirdlargest slum pocketVishal Parekh Garodia Nagar residentldquoThe foul smell of the Deonar dumping ground is disgusting Waterlogging during the monsoon is never addressed by any authority Proper traffic management is a must as we spend 20 to 30 minutes in traffic at Ghatkopar Eastrdquo Dileep Mhaske A Ghatkopar East localldquoWe need redevelopment but the state must share its roadmap We donrsquot want a vertical slum to come where Ramabai Colony standsrdquoRavi Mahadik A resident of Gaurishankar Wadi in Pant NagarldquoThis area is witnessing huge redevelopment The population is rising and so is the number of vehicles on the streets This is creating traffic congestion and parking issuesrdquoA resident Ramabai ColonyldquoThe colony has been awaiting redevelopment for a while The state government has come up with the plan to develop the area but we fear displacement as there has been no clear communicationrdquoRakhi Jadhav NCPSPYoursquore contesting in a BJP bastionhellipFor the past few decades the BJP has been winning this constituency Though the BJP got the lead in the Lok Sabha election every poll is different I have worked in two wards and a few parts of one ward for 20 years as a corporator I know the situation at the ground level I have a personal connection with voters I know the issues that need to be addressedGhatkopar East is undergoing massive redevelopment but new issues have arisen such as parking and traffic on internal roadsThere is a need for proper planning Redevelopment is not just about pulling down tiny buildings and constructing highrises Public parking water supply sanitation and an upgraded sewage system need to be planned I will try to give a positive face to redevelopment There is a need for redevelopment but not at the cost of a resultant mess Proper traffic management is neededThe pollution issue seems serious herehellipThere were a large number of trees at Pant Nagar Naidu Colony and Garodia Nagar We need to plant trees in open areas as well as along the road We need to plant indigenous species which can help reduce dust and heat They are also useful for biodiversity The BMC has already prepared dust mitigation guidelines which need to be followed strictlyA major part of the electorate depends on the BEST which is facing difficultiesYes but now the BEST is reeling under financial burden To provide good services to the commuter there is a need to provide funds to BEST to strengthen itThe population of the constituency is rising At the same time around 34 per cent of drinking water wastage is happening due to leakage and thefthellipA BMC sewage treatment plant is located in Ghatkopar East If the treated water could be distributed for secondary use it would reduce the load on BMC water Also the civic body needs to strengthen the old water network I have raised this issue in the BMC House Now I will bring it upin the AssemblyWhat is your vision for the constituencyGhatkopar East is changing due to redevelopment But at present this is only limited to raising the height of buildings I will focus on the redevelopment of Ramabai Colony Every resident will get a house at his location I will give redevelopment a human face Under the BJP projects are not for people but contractors I work for the peopleParag Shah BJPBJP candidate and incumbent MLA Parag Shah interacts with Ghatkopar East votersWhat have you done for your constituency in the past five yearsBefore becoming MLA I was a corporator in 2017 I had started a WhatsApp group for complaint redressal to resolve issues Sometimes my team acts to resolve things even before the authorities step in During the pandemic I started four COVID centres in the constituency where we treated around 4750 peopleWhat is your commitment to voters this electionI donrsquot give chunavi commitments to the people The partyrsquos team and I are working for the people round the clock Citizens share their problems with us and we act on them My party workers and I are always vigilant about the issues of the constituencyYour constituency is undergoing redevelopment which is creating issues Buildings here need redevelopment as they are very old To solve parking and traffic issues cluster development is useful I have suggested some solutions regarding cluster development to the government for parking and traffic issues We will ensure they are greatly reducedWhat about the water supply problemThe water issue is not only related to my constituency This is a pancity and panstate issue We need to increase the number of reservoirs Also the desilting of dams is required to increase their holding capacity Also changing pipelines to address leakage issues is an ongoing processThe redevelopment of Ramabai Colony is a longpending issuehellipWhen I was contesting elections for the first time the people of Ramabai Colony and Kamraj Nagar were hoping that now I could redevelop the colony But itrsquos not the work of a single builder as this is the thirdlargest slum in the state The state government is now redeveloping the colony The first phase of 16000 houses has started The project will be completed in three phases Around 40000 to 42000 families will get housesBEST was a public transport resource but the services have dipped drasticallyThe strengthening of the BEST will continue After four years when all Metro lines start the city will see a change in commuting patterns