Sanjay Dina Patil Shiv Sena (UBT) Candidate for Mumbai North East
MULUND, 6 OCTOBER, 2024 (GPN): In a strategic move to connect with Gujarati and Marathi voters ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, the BJP had announced the third edition of the grand Marathi Dandiya event at Abhyudaya Nagar in Kalachowki. In the previous two years, the event received good response.
BJP state office, MLA Mihir Kotecha, Mahila Morcha president Chitra Wagh had roped in popular singer Avadhoot Gupte to connect with the Dandiya lovers. This year’s event will be seven-day long unlike its previous five-day format.
To further connect with voter’s the BJP will gift an iPhone each day to a man and a woman after judging them on two parameters; traditional Marathi attire and dance moves. In case of a draw, both the participants will receive an iPhone. Entry to the event is free for those who “appreciate Hindu culture”, with admission cards available at the BJP offices in central and south Mumbai. One needs to produce ID proof to procure the cards.Mihir Kotecha, the BJP candidate for the Mumbai North East seat got chosen as the candidate over sitting MP Manoj Kotak
As Mulund is mostly populated the Gujaratis, Marathis and the hindus where Kotak had been a corporator for the past decade, he got 1,27,847 votes as compared to Patil, who got only 40,484 votes.It is not only the expected Gujarati voters who paved the way for BJP’s Manoj Kotak’s entry into the Parliament from the Mumbai North East constituency, but also traditional Shiv Sena voters.
The Sainiks had also earlier refused to work if BJP had given the ticket to Kirit Somaiya. However, they seemed to have worked to ensure Kotak’s win. Post his victory, Kotak said, “It is the combined effort of the Sena, BJP and RPI workers that ensured our comfortable victory.”
Manoj Kotak started working for the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in 1989. Before being elected as an MP from the Mumbai North East constituency in the 17th Lok Sabha elections (2019), he served as a Municipal Corporator from Mulund from 2007 to 2019. In the 2019 elections, Manoj Kotak got 56.61 percent of the total of 9,09,181 votes cast, getting 5,14,599 votes. He defeated his nearest rival, Sanjay Dina Patil of the NCP by 2,26,486 votes. Kotak was chosen to contest the elections instead of popular leader Kirit Somaiya, who was reportedly gearing for a second term.
The Mumbai North East constituency comprises of densely populated areas such as Mulund, Vikhroli, Ghatkopar and Mankhurd. The constituency has a strong Gujarati population, who have overwhelmingly supported the BJP in the past two general elections.
On other hand The Shiv Sena (UBT) has fielded Sanjay Dina Patil as its candidate from Mumbai North East while the Bharatiya Janata Party has replaced their sitting MP Manoj Kotak with Mihir Kotecha. Sharma said while the BJP has built a temple at Pratap Nagar, Sanjay Dina Patil carries a lot of goodwill in Bhandup.
With Kotecha being from the Gujarati community and Patil from the Marathi community, the BJP is worried. The UBT candidate has tried to build on this anti-Gujarati sentiment by claiming that a housing society dominated by the Gujarati community did not allow the UBT party workers to distribute pamphlets in Marathi.
While this could not be verified, the allegation has further vitiated the atmosphere.
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