Wife loses polls, MNS corporator shuts down selfie point at Dadar
Move comes after Sandeep Deshpande’s wife lost to Sena’s Vishaka Raut
The city’s first themed selfie point at Dadar’s Shivaji Park has been shut down by former Maharashtra Navanirman Sena corporator Sandeep Deshpande due to unavailability of funds.
The move comes days after Deshpande’s wife Swapna was in the fray for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election but lost to Sena’s Vishaka Raut with a margin of 2373 votes in Sidhivinayak Temple-Shivaji Park region.
Deshpande had inaugurated the selfie point with his wife Swapna, in June last year and was one of its kinds with a changing theme as per the season. Sources said that the defeat has affected Deshpande and his wife severely as the party also has lost its stronghold in Shivaji Park.
However, Deshpande rubbished such claims and said that the companies don’t wish to fund the Corporator for the selfie point after his defeat. Speaking to the Free Press Journal, Deshpande said, “In order to maintain the selfie point, I had raised funds through the Corporate Social Responsibility channel. Firms like Sigma and Cinemantra had funded the selfie point which cost them a monthly maintenance of Rs 2 lakh. Now that I am not a councillor anymore, these firms have refused funds the selfie point.”
As per the government norms, corporate firms are instructed to set aside two percent of its net profit for CSR activities.
Harshad Bhatkar, Dadar resident, said, “The selfie point was famous for its seasonal themes. The point attracted youngsters in greater number as it had colourful umbrellas hanging down during the monsoon. Pulling down it after losing the elections clearly states that the point was made to woo voters.”
The MNS leader who had been serving in the Shivaji Park area from the past five years had lost his seat to reservation as his seat was reserved under the ladies ward category. Later, Deshpande fielded Swapna who had quit her government job as a Tehsildar to fight the polls.