Maharashtra elections: BJP wants to break Congress 20 year hold on Malad West

In Malad West a stronghold of the Congress party for over two decades a fierce electoral contest is brewing Sitting Congress MLA and former state minister Aslam Shaikh is set to defend his seat against BJPrsquos Vinod Shelar the brother of Ashish Shelar who currently heads the partyrsquos Mumbai unitSpanning 16 kilometres from Malad Railway Station to Madh Village Malad West holds the distinction of being Mumbairsquos longest Assembly constituency It is also among the most densely populated areas in the city encompassing Malvani one of Mumbairsquos largest slum clusters after Dharavi Malad Westrsquos cultural makeup includes the indigenous Koli community East Indian Gaothans and other established communities The 2019 parliamentary elections recorded 285827 registered voters and a turnout of 5688 per cent while the Assembly elections saw a turnout of 547 per cent reflecting strong civic engagementVinod Shelar BJPmidday attempted an interview with BJP candidate Vinod Shelar for five days straight but he was unresponsiveVinod Shelar BJPrsquos current general secretary for Mumbai is sparing no effort in challenging the incumbent Vinod Shelarrsquos campaign has sharply criticised Shaikh alleging a lack of visible development and rampant issues with drug peddling and illegal encroachments He has openly challenged Shaikh to present his ldquoreport cardrdquo to voters questioning the Congressrsquos decadeslong hold on the area without substantial change Shaikh has defended his tenure by pointing to recent infrastructure projects aimed at relieving traffic congestion and expanding the constituencyrsquos infrastructureWhat specific issues do you see as prioritiesThis will be my sixth term as an elected representativemdashtwo terms as a BMC corporator and now three as an MLA My vision is to make Malad a standout area within Mumbai a place thatrsquos not only functional but unique in its character and offeringsWith nearly 1 lakh new voters in your constituency how do you anticipate this impacting the outcomeIrsquom confident that my strong connection accessibility and rapport with the people will work in my favour The increase in voters is indeed an opportunity and I believe it will translate into more votesWhat is your stance on current redevelopment projects particularly SRA schemesThe concept of making Mumbai slumfree was originally introduced by the Congress under the thenchief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh While significant progress has been achieved I believe wersquove only realised about 3040 per cent of the vision that was originally outlined Despite ongoing redevelopment efforts new slums continue to emerge We need to put a stop to the unchecked spread of slumsWhat are your plans to improve roads pedestrian footpaths and encroachmentCreating wellmaintained footpaths open spaces and water management systems must be prioritised Additionally parts of the cityrsquos pipeline infrastructure still date back to the British era and these need urgent replacement A more coordinated approach to infrastructure work is also needed for instance when roads are laid all agencies involved in utilities like pipelines and cables should collaborate to avoid the constant redigging that leads to poor road conditions How will you tackle lastmile connectivity challengesThe Metro system has been initiated but it needs to become fully operational to benefit everyone Additionally largescale projects like the sea link expansion should connect cities and key areas more effectively such as linking Mumbai with Mira Road and Thane Moreover we should explore water taxis to make better use of our waterways providing an alternative route for people to travel efficiently Is water contamination and supply an issue in your constituencyWherever there are slums water contamination tends to occur whether in Malad or any part of the city This is often due to illegal connections and because of complex legal issues it is challenging to address without proper documentation and evidence The government must either take concrete steps to prevent the creation of illegal structures or improve infrastructure for those that already existHow to propose to address the high pollution levels hereThe surge in construction is one of the major contributors to pollution and itrsquos crucial to balance development with environmental preservation to ensure a healthier cleaner environment for our citizensThe controversy surrounding the Project Affected People of Dharavi redevelopment has reached your constituency and you have chosen to intervene What solutions do you proposeThis is quite frankly one of the biggest scams of our time Displacing thousands of people and relocating them without fully assessing the consequences is unacceptable This isnrsquot about genuinely improving Mumbai it appears to be more about generating profits for a few corrupt politicians