Election 2019: Poll candidates out to grab community vote banks

BJP's Gopal Shetty attends a community event

All those years community-bonding and side-campaigning were taken up much after the actual on-ground work before elections, but this time it seems the pre-poll mood in the city is slightly different.

Candidates have kicked off the unofficial campaigning process by approaching and meeting members of several communities - Gujarati, North Indian, Christian and Muslim - even as the rallies and door-to-door visits are scheduled to start next week. With the political parties yet to officially announce their agendas and poll manifestos, the on-ground campaigning process has taken a back seat. What appears to be more important now is securing the votes of community driven areas, and candidates have been at it for the past two weeks.

Congress' Priya Dutt speaks to community members at the North Central constituency

According to sources, the Mumbai North constituency, considered to be a BJP bastion, is primarily driven by the Gujarati and North Indian vote bank. Recently, the party's candidate from the area, Gopal Shetty, was seen attending events organised by the Uttar Bhartiya Samaj. He also attended an event organised by Muslims residing in the areas of the same constituency, which includes Malvani, Kandivali, Borivali and Dahisar.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a BJP leader said, "Officially the campaigning in the North constituency will start on Friday. Candidates have been meeting various community leaders and members to ensure that their presence is noticed."

Meanwhile, the North Central constituency, which is primarily driven by a mix of minority and North Indian community vote bank, saw Congress candidate Priya Dutt and BJP's Poonam Mahajan meet several of the members and discuss their problems. While Congress sources claimed that the minorities in the constituency were upset with the BJP, the latter said that they were confident of attracting their targeted vote bank.

A senior Congress leader said, "We are looking at cashing on the votes of the minority members who are upset with the BJP on a whole. The voters have realised that there has been no change in the name of development and that the Congress has always worked for communities."

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