Congress banks on Muslim, Kunbi and Aagri votes to retain Bhiwandi seat

The Congress is banking on getting the votes of diverse communities to retain the Bhiwandi constituency n Maharashtra’s Thane district, which votes on Thursday.

Bhiwandi comprises Shahapur, Bhiwandi east, Bhiwandi rural, Bhiwandi west, Kalyan west and Murbad Assembly segments. About 1.69 million voters will cast their votes in the constituency on Thursday. Of these, 315,315 are upper-caste Kunbis, 241,302 are Muslims, and 224,376 are Aagris and Kolis, both Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

Thirteen candidates are in the fray in Bhiwandi. However, the main contest is a triangular one between Congress nominee, Vishwanath Patil; Bharatiya Janata Party candidate, Kapil Patil,  and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) nominee, Suresh Mhatre.

Vishwanath Patil is a Kunbi and had contested the 2009 polls as an independent. BJP nominee Kapil Patil, who left the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and MNS candidate Suresh Mhatre are both Aagris.

The Congress is making all-out efforts to retain the seat, while the BJP is cashing in on the “Modi wave”. MNS, which has extended support to Narendra Modi as the next prime minister, is optimistic about winning due to the division in votes.

Congress MP Hussain Dalwai, who played a crucial role in the nomination of Vishwanath Patil, denies a “Modi wave” in the constituency at the outset. “We are approaching voters on the inclusive growth and development agenda. The Congress is committed in taking every section along while the BJP is dividing the country on communal lines. Our partner, the NCP is actively working during the campaigning and we are quite confident about Vishwanath Patil’s victory,” he told Business Standard.

NCP legislator from Murbad, Kisan Kathore, said both parties had reached out to maximum voters, especially from the rural areas. “We are confident voters would vote for development projects which have been implemented due to the financial assistance of the state and central governments,” he said.

Kapil Patil, who was lured by BJP leader Gopinath Munde, is riding high on the “Modi wave”. “I feel the development of Bhiwandi is possible only by joining this (Modi) wave and, hence, I have decided to join the BJP,” he said.

As for the voters of the constituency, who come from diverse caste and religious backgrounds, the economic development of Bhiwandi, a major power loom township of Maharashtra, is uppermost on their minds.

Abdul Aziz (40), who works in one of the 800,000 power looms in Bhiwandi, is quite happy the unit would continue to operate without any interruption because the subsidy allocation from both the state and central governments won’t be stopped. He goes on to add he is quite keen that whoever comes to power at the Centre should be pro-active so that the power loom sector survives, as it clocks an annual turnover of Rs 350 crore. Aziz, who declines to give his choice for the prime minister, however, clarifies the party assuming power at the Centre should take care of all sections and, thereby, give boost to development.

Raju Patil (20), an Aagri, says he wants Bhiwandi to further gain prominence at the global level. Patil, who is casting his vote for the first time, is quite thrilled. “This will be possible if those enjoying power stop playing the communal card and pay attention to the growing needs of people living in the urban and rural areas of Bhiwandi. We expect an uninterrupted water and power supply at moderate rates and the upgradation of infrastructure,” he said.