It’s a case of ‘Ek Phool, Paanch Kaante’ in Anushakti Nagar
Only one candidate, NCP’s Nawab Malik, has a blemish-free record
It's a fight between 'proton' and 'electrons' in this 'nuclear' constituency a candidate with a clean record is pitted against those with criminal cases in the Anushakti Nagar constituency of Mumbai. The 2.52 lakh-strong electorate will see a fierce battle, particularly between the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), with both parties leaving no stone unturned to win.
The sitting MLA from Sena – Tukaram Kate, faces charges pertaining to unlawful assembly and destruction of public property. Kate had won Anushakti Nagar in 2014 with a thumping majority. However, his opponents and a few voters claim that he won because of the Modi wave.
The affidavits sworn and signed by candidates, who are contesting from some major political parties show that the majority of them have a criminal background, meaning, some or the other criminal cases pending against them. However, only one candidate with a ‘clean’ image is seen and he is obviously making full use of this in his poll campaigns.
“I am asking my voters if they want a daaku, chor or any other form of criminal to represent them or someone with a clean image, with no criminal antecedents,” said NCP candidate Nawab Malik, who was the MLA from Anushakti Nagar in 2009.
The four-time MLA and former housing minister Malik clarified, “I am no one to put a label on any person. But I am only saying all this because the affidavits submitted by all these candidates speak for themselves.” Malik, the national spokesperson of the NCP, is leaving no stone unturned to wrest back the seat from Sena’s Kate, who too is facing a criminal charge.
According to the affidavits, the corporator-turned MLA – Kate was booked in a case pertaining to the destruction of public property in 2009. However, the affidavit does not shed light on the present status of the case. Apart from Kate, the MNS candidate Vijay Raorane, who is expected to disturb the Sena’s ‘Marathi Manoos’ vote bank has been booked in a rioting case and the matter is sub judice.
Then there is the candidate of the Samajwadi Party (SP), Akbar Hussain, who tops the list of criminal candidates in the constituency. He is facing 13 FIRs. The cases in which he has been booked at various police stations range from serious offences such as murder, robbery and grievous injury to rioting, cheating, obstructing public servants from performing duties, etc.
The SP candidate is followed by Shahnawaz Shaikh, the official candidate of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) party. He is booked in seven different cases, most of which pertain to participating in Hindu-Muslim riots in the constituency. The other cases against Shaikh include some family matters and an attempt to murder case.
Another interesting candidate is Jayprakash Agarwal, who has been booked in five separate cases, all pertaining to cheating, forgery and fraud. He has been booked for obtaining a licence to run a rationing shop with forged documents, forging ration cards, illegally selling goods from a 'ration shop' etc.
The discontent against the incumbent Sena MLA is because of his dismal track record. He has miserably failed to implement projects, proposed before 2014 polls by the then MLA, Malik.
“There was a proposal to convert Shatabdi hospital into a medical college but it has not been done yet.
I think it was proposed by Malik but in the last five years, there has been no development in this regard,” said Vaishali Chauhan, a resident.
However, there are those who have appreciated Kate for his work and laud him for resolving all the issues of the constituency. “Right from water issues to the redevelopment of buildings, Kate has done everything for us. He has also ensured the construction of a beautiful Shivaji statue in our area. He has worked a lot for the betterment and development of the constituency,” said Sunil Kandera, a resident.