A philanthropist woos a posh Mumbai suburb

Philanthropist Asif Bhamla, contesting the election to the Maharashtra assembly from Mumbai's upscale Bandra, is determined to restore the jaded 'Queen of Suburbs' to its original glory.

A self-made Mumbai entrepreneur, Asif Bhamla has spent his lifetime in philanthropic activities through his NGO, Bhamla Foundation, which has catapulted him to virtual stardom over the past many years.

He is trying his luck at the assembly as a Nationalist Congress Party candidate from Bandra West where he lived and grew up among youngsters, many of whom are big-ticket celebs in their own right now.

There are over 4,000 candidates in contention for the Oct 15 elections to the 288 seats in the Maharashtra assembly.

"For me, politics is an extension of social work, a platform from which I can extend a bigger help to the poor, needy and downtrodden in society. If elected, it will not be my victory but that of the 35 percent marginalised society of Bandra which lives in pathetic conditions," a panting Bhamla said in the thick of a march around his constituency late Wednesday night.

He waves to the people both in the few remaining posh bungalows of Bandra, the towering skyscrapers whose perpetual shadows fall on tiny shanties in the small constituency with just around 350,000 voters.

Many of the people smile and wave back - after all, Bhamla (45) has touched their lives at one time or another, and tackled some problem or the other in what is known as one of the most upscale areas of Mumbai.

"Actually, this area is beset with many problems - insufficient water supply, lack of open spaces, congestion and traffic snarls, slums with little or no amenities, too many illegal constructions all over, and generally a tough life for the commoners," Bhamla explains as he greets his fans and followers.

He is determined to change all this and restore the jaded Bandra to its original glory which earned it the sobriquet 'Queen of Suburbs', more greenery, more openness for relaxation and raising the status of the poor in the area.

Bhamla is aware his march to the legislature or achieving his ideals will not be as simple as his street 'padayatras', which pass through the constituency that has a significant chunk of Christian and Muslim votes.

He is faced with some formidable rivals, Congress strongman, four-time legislator and ex-minister Baba Z. Siddique, Bharatiya Janata Party's city president Ashish Shelar and Shiv Sena's Koli (fisherman) leader Vilas Chavari - backed by their well-oiled political machinery.

Fortunately for Bhamla, there is less campaign against him as the other three contenders are slugging it out among themselves - Siddique and Chavari dismiss all talk of any 'Modi wave', and Shelar hopes for a consolidation of the non-minority votes in his favour.