MUMBAI: Bandra West will see a well-recognized struggle: sitting MLA Ashish Shelar will sq. off as soon as once more with former BMC corporator and Congress member Asif Zakaria. Zakaria had run in opposition to Shelar in 2019, too, however misplaced by a margin of 26,507 votes.
Earlier this month, there have been studies that former MP Priya Dutt may contest the seat, however Dutt reportedly as an alternative really useful Zakaria, a three-term civic corporator from the world. She took to X to congratulate Zakaria late Saturday after his candidature was introduced.
Whereas the important thing challengers stay the identical, Mumbai North-Central constituency, which covers this meeting seat, has a brand new MP: Congress’s Varsha Gaikwad defeated BJP’s Ujwal Nikam within the Lok Sabha elections. Previous to Gaikwad, BJP’s Poonam Mahajan represented the seat for 2 consecutive phrases.
For residents on this meeting constituency, which incorporates a few of Mumbai’s most energetic superior locality administration teams, key considerations embrace managing the increase in eating places and pubs, congested roads and late evening noise. Moreover, locals are calling for higher regulation of hawkers, a decision on unlawful slum encroachments in Nargis Dutt Nagar, Nityanand Nagar and Gazdarbandh, and a stronger give attention to an eco-friendly Bandra.
Shelar’s agenda for the subsequent 5 years is to rehabilitate slums and ease site visitors. Zakaria mentioned individuals are disgruntled as there was loads of wasteful expenditure, particularly within the identify of beautification tasks which might be later deserted. “I want to be that bridge in order that pending works are accomplished,” he mentioned.
