Shirodkar, MNS youth leader, pushes green agenda in noisy roadshow

The Times of India , Friday, April 11, 2014
Correspondent : Clara Lewis
MUMBAI: It is a noisy padayatra with a band playing filmi music and fireworks, both in the sky and on the ground, as if in a marriage procession. But Mumbaikars, it seems, are so weary, few bother to look out and see what the noise and pollution are all about. Aditya Shirodkar, MNS Lok Sabha candidate from South-Central Mumbai, was out on his poll campaign walking along the arterial roads, bylanes and gullies of Mahim (W).

The area, more precisely civic ward no 182, where both the sitting corporator is Manish Chavan and MLA Nitin Sardesai, are from the MNS, has a mix of Muslim, Catholic and Marathi voters. It largely comprises housing societies and chawls, but no slums.

Shirodkar and Sardesai, accompanied by their band of party workers, vended their way first through the predominantly Muslim areas. At places, the procession was stopped and offered garlands, shawl and sweets, but nobody really took notice. The lack of curious onlookers on the roads and even in high-rises is explained by Shirodkar by saying it is a working day. But Sardesai observes, "Perhaps the voters have already made up their minds." Even a walk through Mahim's oldest gated community (an enclave of Sindhi residents) did not elicit a response from citizens.

Shirodkar, the MNS youth icon and one of the youngest Lok Sabha candidates, is pitted against sitting MP Eknath Gaikwad of the Congress and Rahul Shewale of the Shiv Sena. He has led the MNS youth wing for nine years now.

While he waved and stopped to accept garlands at places, and but for a few traditional aartis and enthusiastic supporters like Shakuntala Chapekar, who offered him 'prasad' from Shirdi, there were no people to whom the campaigners could explain their mission or ask about their problems.

Shirodkar explains, "I have been moving around not just here but across the state, meeting people for the last nine years. Our efforts to connect with people have been on for years, so we don't need to stop and ask people what their problems are. We deal with them daily."

National issues do not dominate the campaign here. It is more about water supply, drainage and redevelopment. Shirodkar has environment high on his agenda. But ask about the noise and air pollution during the padyatra and Sardesai retorts, "How else do you attract the voter?"

Sardesai also proudly points to the number of roads that are being reconstructed and upgraded. "We never say no, not even to those who have not voted for us. No matter what the problem, we make every effort to solve it. The water problem has been resolved and we are addressing drainage problems,'' said Sardesai, known for having won from the wards in his constituency simply by ensuring civic problems of housing societies were addressed.

While he shepherds Shirodkar, he is confident the civic work done by his party will carry them through. Sardesai is confident the party will fare better this time round. "Last time Shweta Parulekar received 1.08 lakh votes. This time we will certainly get more," he said.

 
SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/lok-sabha-elections-2014/news/Shirodkar-MNS-youth-leader-pushes-green-agenda-in-noisy-roadshow/articleshow/33567547.cms?
 


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