The ‘hand’ holds the ‘mashal’
MUMBAI: It will be a first when a Thackeray votes for the Congress. On Friday, when Congress candidate for the Mumbai North Central constituency Varsha Gaikwad dropped by at Matoshree to meet Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, the latter extending his support, said “it is imperative that the ‘ hand’ holds ‘ mashal’”, alluding to symbols of the two parties.
Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Nationalist Congress Party (SP) are alliance partners in the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the state. “I will vote for Varsha Gaikwad as I am voter of Mumbai North Central constituency. INDIA alliance will win the election,” said Thackeray.
There was a rift between the two parties in the recent past over the Mumbai South Central Lok Sabha seat. Gaikwad had her eyes on the seat and requested Thackeray to consider her candidature two weeks ago. Sena (UBT) refused to budge as it had already announced Anil Desai the candidate from the constituency. Congress finally fielded Gaikwad from Mumbai North Central where Poonam Mahajan is the sitting BJP MP from the ruling alliance.
“We will send Varsha to Delhi as MP from Mumbai North Central constituency. She is like my younger sister. We are united to end this dictatorial regime,” said Thackeray. When Gaikwad was questioned about the earlier squabble -- when she said that being a Mumbai Congress president she can fight form any constituency – she called attention to how she has been working in the Mumbai North Central constituency for the last 10 months. “Not only this one, MVA will win all six seats in Mumbai; we will repeat the performance of 2009,” she said. In 2009 Congress and alliance partner NCP won all six seats.