South Mumbai is my Janma Bhoomi and Karma Bhoomi, says Milind Deora

Earlier this year Milind Deora joined the Eknath Shindeled Shiv Sena breaking decades of ties with the Indian National Congress Ten months after he started a new political journey the Rajya Sabha lawmaker is fighting hard to wrest the Worli seat from Shiv Sena UBTrsquos Aaditya Thackeray in a Sena vs Sena battleSpeaking about his motivation for joining the assembly racedespite being a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament MP Deora points to his deep personal ties to South Mumbai ldquoMy relationship with this area and its people is a family relationshiprdquo he said ldquoSouth Mumbai is my Janma Bhoomi birthplace and Karma Bhoomi place of work Serving here is a commitment whether I am in power or notrdquoOn Thackerayrsquos criticismDeorarsquos decision to contest the election has drawn criticism from Thackeray who recently suggested that he should have resigned as a Rajya Sabha MP before stepping into the assembly race Deora however dismissed the criticism calling it ldquomisinformedrdquo ldquoAaditya is young ldquoTo get him elected here ndash an outsiderndash two local Worli MLAs had to be displaced I donrsquot think someone with that background should be advising othersrdquolsquoCommitted to preserving the Koli communityrsquos heritagersquoThe Koli community Worlirsquos original inhabitants have time and again expressed concerns about how development projects could impact their heritage Deora is clear that his priority is to respect their wishes ldquoWe will fully support whatever they wishrdquo he asserted ldquoIf they want to preserve the Koliwada as a traditional Gaothan we stand by them Itrsquos their heritage and our role is to support their choicerdquoHe also criticised the oppositionrsquos attempts to scare residents about development projects Deora argued that the opposition relies on ldquofear tacticsrdquo using development plans to create anxiety among the peopleldquoThey scare people by saying the racecourse will become a tower which hasnrsquot happened They use fear to halt the Vadhavan port and delay the Navi Mumbai airport and the Metro by four years Fear works briefly but hope and truth prevail in the long runrdquoTalking about his immediate priorities after getting elected Deora puts forth a straightforward answer ldquoMy priority is to be available to the people Whether I am in Parliament the assembly in power or out of power my commitment to South Mumbai doesnrsquot changerdquo he saidThe need for redevelopmentWorlirsquos biggest challenge according to Deora is the need for comprehensive redevelopment ldquoThe key issue is redevelopment across Worli and much of Mumbai People need redevelopment projects that improve living conditions and renew old structuresrdquo the Rajya Sabha MP said reflecting on Mumbairsquos ageing infrastructure and the urgency of modernising housing and public spaceslsquoPractical solutions needed for traffic managementrsquoOn the issue of traffic Deora dismissed Thackerayrsquos recent suggestion of deploying officers on every road and termed it was a ldquosillyrdquo idea Instead he argued that effective traffic management requires a worldclass public transport system that draws even car owners to use itldquoGood public transportation is essentialrdquo he stated ldquoThatrsquos the real solution Around the world in places such as London and New York even the wealthy use public transportation when itrsquos efficient and reliable Thatrsquos the direction Mumbai should be heading towardsrdquoDeora also stressed on his vision that focuses on longterm sustainable solutions over quick fixes emphasising the role of infrastructure and public systemsOn creating open spaces in WorliWorli residents have expressed a desire for more recreational spaces and Deora has ambitious plans to address this He envisions a major park in Mahalakshmi Racecourse similar to New Yorkrsquos Central Park ldquoWersquore working to create one of the largest parks in the country at Mahalakshmi Racecourserdquo he explained ldquoAaditya Thackeray is opposing this because he failed to renew the lease between BMC and the racecourse and is now preventing others from moving forwardrdquoStating that creating accessible green spaces is a priority Deora criticised the oppositionrsquos resistance to these effortsWhen will municipal elections happenThe municipal elections have been delayed owing to a variety of factors Deora points out to the Other Backward Classes OBC quota issue in the Supreme Court as a significant reason behind the delay ldquoThis delay has been an issue even for the MVArdquo he noted and said the Election Commission should expedite the process as the polls are ldquoessential for serving the peoplersquos interestsrdquoRejecting lsquospeed breakerrsquo politicsDeorarsquos message to Worlirsquos residents is clear ldquoI urge everyone to go out and voterdquo he said ldquoAvoid speed breaker politics like that of Aaditya Thackerayrsquos Choose leaders who drive Mumbai forward not those who create potholes and roadblocksrdquoWhile Deora promises a leadership that combines his focus on development respect for heritage and practical solutions it is worthy to be noted that neither he nor Thackeray are a local lsquoWorlikarrsquo Worlikars have a tough choice to make on the day of the polls as it is a battle for the future direction of one of Mumbairsquos most vibrant constituencies