Lok Sabha elections 2024: No vacations, please vote

The southernmost part of south Mumbai Cuffe Parade Colaba and areas around congregated at the Radio Clubrsquos Presidency Hall late Tuesday evening The occasion was a meeting titled lsquoLocal Voices Shared Visionsrsquo with BJPrsquos Rahul Narwekar speaker Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and Guardian Minister city Deepak Kesarkar The overarching message to the merchants and residents assembled there was to vote not miss the ballot box opportunity by going on vacation on May 20Infra eyeKesarkar attributed the ldquofast pace of development to the recent changerdquo in government in Maharashtra He said ldquoWe see the Coastal Road opening in phases we also have the Trans Harbour Link Soon you will be able to commute by Metrordquo Having pointed to the infra speedometer Kesarkar also claimed ldquoThis is a city which has the richest of the rich and the poorest of the poor We cannot forget the latter and hence we also have developments like lsquoaapla dawaakhanarsquo for the treatment of the underprivileged like slum dwellers We are also concerned about the environment and have seen an improvement in air quality That is the difference between the Delhi Government and the Maharashtra GovernmentrdquoBurning coalsThe minister further spoke about certain Mumbai landmarks like the Mumbadevi Temple in south Mumbai ldquoWe have Rs 220 crore earmarked for this upgrade and corridor We have selected other landmarks too like Haji Ali Siddhivinayak Temple and the Gateway of India We are planning amenities at the Gateway which will not hamper the viewrdquoKesarkar claimed it would be developed with a balance of heritage and beauty He picked burning south Mumbai coalsmdashthe Mahalaxmi race course issuemdashinsisting that a huge park on the lines of Central Park will made and it will be worldclass ldquoToday the race course space is accessed mainly by morning walkers and racegoers After this development everybody will access itrdquo He also said the Hanging Gardens water reservoir will be repaired and the garden will be maintainedThe minister also claimed that there are plans for more facilities for senior citizens like in the West and centres that will generate womenrsquos employment ldquoI also hear criticism that all the industries are leaving Maharashtra and going to Gujarat That is not true Put all the states that compete with Maharashtra and see their investmentshellip all those will not add up to Maharashtra Maharashtra is truly lsquoMahardquo he said to cheers Kesarkar added that South Mumbai candidate Yamini Jadhav is a ldquodouble graduate and will work for the constituency from the bottom of her heartrdquoPressing the development button he said ldquoEarlier we had 70 airports but today we have 140 We are looking at Mumbairsquos original inhabitantsmdashthe Kolismdashand there is an accent on making Koliwadas tourism magnets We also have something called aspirational toilets which will be a part of the welldeveloped infrastructure We must make Mumbai extremely beautiful together with all of yourdquoChanging timesRahul Narwekar said that years ago Indian youth would struggle for a visa to certain countries ldquoToday Indians are preferred and welcomed at immigration counters with pride dignity and honour Like PM Narendra Modi said this is the trailer and there is lots more to comerdquo Narwekar then switched to Mumbaicentric topics stating that ldquoin the next three months one will be able to go from Colaba to the airport in 25 minutesrdquo which brought forth shouts and loud applause from the SoBo attendeesHe then stated ldquoIn 10 years we have become the fifthlargest economy and in 2027 we predict we will be the thirdlargest economy This is the Indian aspirational society one which aspires for morerdquo Narwekar had a few choice opinions on ldquothe pseudo seculars who earlier had destroyed the religious and social fabric It made the majority feel it was a crime to be from the majority I can say in the last 10 years there has not been a major incident of communal violence in the countryrdquoHe then zeroed in on voting for candidate Yamini Jadhav urging his audience to ldquovote for a candidate that represents the PMrsquos ethosrdquo ldquoWe need someone who is accessible and understands our concernsrdquo he concludedRs 220 crAmount earmarked for upgrade