Election 2019: Shiv Sena's present and murky past battle for future

Shiv Sena veteran and Member of Parliament Gajanan Kirtikar has a huge task ahead of him for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as he fights former party colleague and now Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam in the Mumbai NorthWest constituency The sitting MP said the battle was not just between the Sena and Congress but more between a Sena loyalist and the person who had betrayed Sena founder the late Bal Thackeray 15 years agoMP Gajanan Kirtikar said it was time the Sena taught Nirupam a lesson by defeating him in the segment that he has asked for from the Congress this year Kirtikar isnt taking the contest lightly knowing the kind of fiery opponent he is pitted against Nirupam is a seasoned politician He can go to any extent to reach out to the voters But were all ready to face any eventuality he saidPeople know who betrayed Balasaheb and consistently spoke ill against the first family of the Sena I dont need to tell the voters who they should send home packing said KirtikarGajanan Kirtikar won an LS seat from the Mumbai North West constituency in 2014Nirupam who was sent to Rajya Sabha twice by the Sena had to quit the membership of the Upper House midterm because he had taken on some powerful people in the then NDA government Sena chief had reportedly asked him to resign following which Nirupam joined the CongressNirupam made remarkable progress in the Congress against which he had fought a Lok Sabha election and won the next Lok Sabha from Mumbai North against the BJP He lost the seat though in 2014butonly to emerge as the president of Mumbai Congress the post he was removed from early this week because of infighting in the party However the party gifted him a ticket from NorthWest as part of the barterKirtikar banks on his workSenasvibhagpramukhand MLC Anil Parab who is the main strategist behind Kirtikars campaign however rued the sacking of Nirupam We wanted a sitting Mumbai Congress president defeated by Kirtikar But the Congress removed him ahead of the polls taking the delight away from us Anyway we will beat Nirupam very convincingly Parab insistedSenas thrust will be on the claims that Kirtikar has done well as a firsttime MP especially in terms of resolving the suburban railway issue Kirtikars area begins from the Andheri railway station At least half of the 17 lakh voters in NorthWest use local trains for their daily commute and since Kirtikar has been a member of the Parliamentary Committee of Railways he has enabled escalators FOBs and ROBs lifts drinking water at the railway stations and has got a huge grant approved for the fifth and sixth line under MUTP3 said ParabKirtikar in the past five years has spent Rs 4650 crore of government funds in his constituency I have catered to a crosssection of this cosmopolitan constituency he said adding that his noncorrupt image noncontroversial politics and friendly nature have always been his USP in the five Assembly and one Parliamentaryelectionshe has won till dateMarathi voters backingThe power equation in this region is divided between the Sena and BJP with three seats each in the state Assembly Their total vote share comes to six lakhs the number if retained should win Kirtikar the seat The 615 lakh Marathi voters would be a deciding factor for the Sena I have ensured jobs for the Marathi people through the Sthanik Lokadhikar Samiti since its inception decades ago the MP saidWhat could turn the tables here is the second largest chunk of 3 lakh Muslim voters which may be wooed by the Congress and othernonBJPSena parties Parab however said that the last elections had got Sena a significant Muslim vote share Were confident of getting them with us this time as well Denying any faction feud Kirtikar said that the BJP workers and leaders were with him wholeheartedly I have worked all my life for BJP candidates like Ram Naik The BJP workers respect my contribution and reciprocate he affirmedAnother assumption that gives Kirtikar great hope is the dislike that Maharashtra Navnirman Sena MNS has for Nirupam The MNS voters will not vote for Nirupam but support Kirtikar who has been nice to them always said ParabAlso ReadMumbai Shiv Sena inducts BJP candidate in Palghar ahead of Lok Sabha electionsCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates