Mumbai leaders make a beeline for the state

With the stage set for a tough fight between the BJP and the Congress in the Gujarat assembly elections, both parties have deployed their leaders and workers from Mumbai to campaign in the state.

The BJP has already deployed around 100 sitting Gujaratispeaking MLAs, corporators and workers attached with minority and north Indian wings to Surat and other parts of the state, while the Congress’ Mumbai unit has announced that it will dispatch 200 workers to constituencies in south Gujarat.

As the Congress mounts a serious challenge for the BJP in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s homeground, influential elected representatives from across Maharashtra, especially Mumbai, have been tasked with establishing contact with voters.

BJP’s Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar is camped in Surat with workers from various wings of the party. Gujarati-speaking corporators from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, workers attached with the Uttar Bharatiya Morcha and the minority wing will be stationed in 16 constituencies in Surat and its rural outskirts.

Other Gujarati-speaking leaders from Mumbai, including Mangalprabhat Lodha, Raj Purohit, Yogesh Sagar and corporators such as Manoj Kotak, have been given the responsibility of other parts of Gujarat.

Congress’s Mumbai unit, led by Sanjay Nirupam, has announced that it will send a team of 200 workers to tap voters. “Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is getting support for the elections. According to a survey, the gap between the voter support to BJP and us has reduced to 6% from the earlier 30%. Our workers will help convert this to votes,” Nirupam said.

MUMBAI: