In Shrivardhan, a debutante dynast takes on a veteran

NCP MP Sunil Tatkare campaigning for his daughter, Aditi (left), who is contesting from Shrivardhan. Pics/Satej Shinde

A constituency-hopping Sena veteran will take on a debuting dynast in coastal Shrivardhan. Sena's Vinod Ghosalkar, 62, lost from Mangaon in 1995, before winning Dahisar in 2009, and losing it again in 2014. Now, he will fight from Shrivardhan against NCP heavyweight Sunil Tatkare's daughter Aditi, 31. Though Aditi, a zilla parishad member, is making her state electoral debut from the maligned NCP, Ghosalkar is not taking her lightly.

Aditi has the experience of managing her heavyweight father's campaign over the last two terms. Strengthening Aditi's corner will be Tatkare Sr himself, who defied the Modi wave to win the Raigad parliamentary seat in May. "Aditi is like your family member," he says in small intimate meetings with voters in the interiors. "When a family member is contesting, I am sure everyone will work to ensure her smooth sailing into the corridors of the Assembly."

Sena candidate Vinod Ghosalkar

Tatkare added that he has given his daughter a good grounding in politics and has told her to remain humble and keep her ear to the ground at all times. "I have told her that one cannot keep everyone happy and satisfy all," Tatkare told mid-day. "And that irrespective of the poll outcome, she should always give her all to the constituency and stay committed to the people. In long run she will see people rallying behind her and success too will follow."

Aditi's brother Aniket, meanwhile, canvasses among the youth, telling them why a young candidate will work better for them. On the other hand, another Tatkare family member, Aditi's cousin Avdhoot, who won the constituency in 2014, has crossed over to the Sena and will be helping Ghosalkar.

NCP MP Sunil Tatkare along with son Aniket Tatkare (right) campaigning for his daughter Aditi at Diveagar, Shrivardhan

"Avdhoot joining the Sena will certainly be a big advantage for the party," said Ghosalkar, who moved out of Dahisar as it was given to the BJP in seat-sharing. Ghosalkar campaigns that despite representing the constituency for several terms, the Tatkares have not worked for the region's development. "I am sure people too are tired of this family's raj. Voters want change and the Sena is seen as the alternative," he told mid-day.

Aditi, however, is not perturbed, even as she admits that this is her first big test. "In the past 10 years, I have managed parliamentary, assembly, and local body elections for my father and other NCP candidates. This has helped me understand the constituency and stay connected with the people. I am in regular touch with voters, unlike others who come only during elections," she said.

She said education will top her agenda if she is elected. "A next generation can be raised only with a good standard of education. The nation can progress only when there is a skilled and talented pool of youth. As a Zilla Parsihad head, I have been focusing on improving the education system. I will continue to do that as an MLA," she added. She also downplayed Avdhoot's impact, even as he campaigns that the family has betrayed him, forcing him to find refuge in the Sena.

"Voters will decide who meted out injustice to whom," she said. "Those who left us don't matter to the family. My focus is on winning the polls." Another factor that may work in Aditi's favour is that women (1.31 lakh) outnumber men (1.26 lakh) in this constituency of 2.5 lakh voters. Or at least, she hopes so. She tells voters that this is the first time a woman is contesting from Shrivardhan, asking them to help her create history. "I am sure voters from this region would like to see their first woman MLA," she says in her speeches.

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