Shiv Sena (UBT) has already lost, says Shewale

The battle for supremacy in the Mumbai South Central Lok Sabha constituency where Shiv Sena UBT and Shiv Sena Eknath Shinde is locked in a direct fight is intensifying as May 20 polling day draws nearer Shiv Senarsquos Rahul Shewale who has been representing the seat since 2014 is reportedly facing stiff competition from the Sena UBTrsquos Anil Desai an assertion that the former has dismissed Both candidates are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to secure victory in this crucial constituencyShewale backed by the Mahayuti is confident of retaining his seat He highlights his track record of development projects and initiatives aimed at improving the lives of residents in Mumbai South Central Shewalersquos campaign focuses on issues such as infrastructure development housing and employment generationBringing the issue of redevelopment to the forefront Shewale addressed citizens during his rally on Wednesday evening Beginning from the slums at Bharni Naka in Antop Hill Shewale assured the residents that this would be the last time he was seeking votes in their slum homes the next encounter would be in their flats in buildings ldquoPeople want their own homes and that is our commitment to them Redevelopment is on my priority list There are numerous ongoing redevelopment projects and the state government is actively engaging with the Centre on this issue I have been a part of this processrdquoDesai a Rajya Sabha MP is campaigning vigorously leveraging his partys strong grassroots support Desai promises to bring fresh perspectives and innovative solutions to address the challenges faced by the constituency He emphasises the need for inclusive development and empowerment of all sections of societylsquoHersquos from the officersquoThe electoral battle between the Shinde group and Uddhav Sena has also sparked debates and discussions among political analysts and the electorate alike While some believe that Shewalersquos track record will secure him another term others see Desai as a formidable challenger who could upset the status quoHowever Shewale has openly expressed confidence in his victory He directly challenges his rival Desai labelling him as an outsider who has never set foot in the constituency before ldquoThere is a stark difference between me and my rival He Anil Desai has no contributions or work to show in this constituency I have worked on the ground for years I am a person from the field he is from the office I am a resident of this constituency and was born in Dharavi which is part of this constituency he is an outsider I have worked very hard in this constituency for the past 10 years as the MP and even before that so I have full support from the citizens This will work in my favourrdquoAsked about the Shiv Sena versus Shiv Sena contest and his strategy to tackle it Shewale said ldquoThere is no specific strategy to address the other faction It is very simple we are Shiv Sainiks holding strong and preserving Balasaheb Thackerayrsquos legacy and beliefs To uphold the dreams and legacy of Shiv Sena Pramukh Balasaheb we have aligned with Eknath Shinde Saheb In contrast others have departed from the Shiv Sena pramukhrsquos principles and beliefs Citizens have noticed this and they have discerned which is the real Shiv Sena The latest example of this is when we all paid homage to Swatantryaveer Savarkarrsquos memorial after filing nomination forms while they never visited the memorial out of fear of Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party This is where they have already lost they have already faced defeatrdquoShewale dismisses the Gujarati versus Marathi debate as a ploy by Sena UBT to obfuscate their lack of developmental achievements asserting that they resort to such tactics as they have fallen short of development work to show ldquoIt has become evident to them that they are unlikely to win hence they are resorting to bringing up such nonissues to create rifts between different communities in the hope of securing a certain vote bank However their attempts are unlikely to succeedrdquo he saidThe Muslim voteShewale also expresses confidence about garnering Muslim votes in the constituency ldquoThey will vote for development I have stood by them throughout so there is no reason they would not support me I have worked diligently for the Muslim community as much as I have for other communities in the constituencyrdquoMay 20Day Mumbai goes to the polls