Marathi votes to decide city poll results

Mumbai: The possible polarisation of Marathi votes will play a vital role in deciding the outcome of some of the constituencies in Mumbai. In constituencies like South Mumbai, North East Mumbai, North Mumbai the issue has assumed greater significance.

In all the six Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai, the direct fight is between the candidates of BJP-Shiv Sena alliance and the Congress-NCP combine. The South Central Mumbai constituency is the only seat, where both the major candidates are Marathi speaking as Shiv Sena’s sitting MP Rahul Shewale will fight against Congress veteran Eknath Gaikwad. However, the remaining fights will primarily be between Marathi and non-Marathi candidates.

 In South Mumbai, the main contest will be between Arvind Sawant (Sena) and Milind Deora (Congress), whereas BJP’s Poonam Mahajan has been locked in a tough tussle against Priya Dutt (Congress) in North Cent-ral Mumbai constituency. Gajanan Kirtikar (Sena) and Congress’ Sanjay Nirupam are battling it out in the North West Mumbai constituency, whereas the candidature of Urmila Matonkar from Congress has made it an interesting battle in North Mumbai seat against BJP’s Gopal Shetty.

 The only seat the NCP is contesting in the city is North East Mumbai, where its nominee Sanjay Dina Patil will face BJP's newcomer Manoj Kotak.

 According to political sources, there is a possibility that Marathi people may come together in some constituencies and vote in large numbers to ensure the win of Marathi speaking candidates in the Lok Sabha polls.

Subhash Bandre from Borivali said, “I have always voted for the Sena-BJP candidates. But this time I will vote for Urmila Matondkar from Congr-ess. I feel Mr Shetty has done nothing for Marathi speaking people in our constituency. Ms Maton-dkar is Maharashtrian girl, who will understand the problems of Marathi speaking people more appropriately.”

Sanjay Chavan from Bhandup too said that he would vote for NCP's Sanjay Dina Patil. "The Marathi voters in North East Mumbai constituency are the highest at seven lakhs. So we want a MP who will represent Marat-hi aspirations from our constituency," he added.

However, Shiv Sena candidate Arvind Sawant from the South Mumbai constituency begs to differ, “On the contrary, there is a deliberate atte-mpt on the part of opposition  to instigate the non-Marathi votes against me. That's why efforts were made to mislead people by saying that  Sena tried to kill animals in front of Jain temple. But voters will not fall pray to such tactics. They are aware of the work I have done.”