Maharashtra elections 2024: Nirupam hopeful; Prabhu eyes comeback in Dindoshi

The contest in the Dindoshi Assembly constituency is heating up between Shiv Sena UBT candidate Sunil Prabhu and Sanjay Nirupam who joined the Eknath Shinde faction a few months ago Sunil Prabhu a twotime MLA and former Mayor of Mumbai is confident of victory citing his work for the people and his commitment to continue serving them Sanjay Nirupam believes he has strong chances alleging that Prabhu has not delivered on his promisesThe Dindoshi Assembly constituency spans parts of Malad East in the western suburbs covering areas such as Santosh Nagar Kurar Village Appa Pada Nagri Niwara Kranti Nagar Shivaji Nagar and Anand NagarLocal journalist Uday Sangle who runs a weekly paper said ldquoPeople in the constituency expect a tough fight Around 45 per cent of the voters are North Indian but there are also murmurs that BJP cadres are not happy with Mahayutirsquos decision to nominate Sanjay Nirupam given his past criticisms of Prime Minister Narendra ModirdquoIt is estimated that the constituency comprises 45 per cent North Indian voters 15 per cent Muslim voters and the remaining 40 per cent includes Marathi and other communitiesSunil Prabhu Shiv Sena UBTHow have you contributed to the development and progress of the constituency over the past 10 yearsBefore I became the MLA the Kurar Village area in my constituency struggled with a high crime rate During my tenure I worked closely with the police department and local officials to address this issue Our collaborative efforts have led to a significant reduction in crime and today the area enjoys a muchimproved law and order situation We have also made significant improvements to concrete cement roads and developed new roadways I have been actively working to resolve water supply issues and will continue to focus on Slum Redevelopment Authorityrelated challengesMahayuti candidate Sanjay Nirupam contesting against you has claimed that you have not contributed to improving healthcare in the constituencyI think the person making such allegations is not fully aware of the facts In my constituency we provide subsidised dialysis services at Divya Apartment in Triveni Nagar Dindoshi Additionally the Appa Pada Urban Primary Health Centre offers multispecialty outpatient services to local residents Looking ahead I plan to develop a wellequipped hospital with stateoftheart medical technology at the current site of S K Patil Hospital in Malad East covering over 5 acresWhat initiatives have you taken for the youth and open spaces in your constituencyI am developing several projects including the Shardabai Govind Pawar Multipurpose Sports Ground as well as a fully equipped garden in Dindoshi For Std X students I distribute model question papers to help them prepare for board exams I am dedicated to addressing the issues and development needs of the youth I have the peoplersquos support because I am available to them 247How will you improve the environment in this constituencyAir pollution is a critical challenge and it is essential that we all take responsibility As an MLA I have consistently prioritised protecting our existing green cover Irsquove initiated several projects including the Miyawaki forest and have personally planted thousands of trees in my constituency to combat environmental issuesSeveral MLAs sided with Eknath Shinde leaving Uddhav Thackeray What prompted you to continue supporting ThackerayI am a committed Shiv Sainik deeply loyal to the legacy of Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Whatever I am today I owe to Shiv Sena Balasaheb and Uddhav SahebSanjay Nirupam Shiv Sena Eknath ShindeWhat do you think are the key issues in the Dindoshi AssemblyThe key issues are drinking water road development interconnecting roads and general development The entire Dindoshi area lacks systematic or planned development with slums and buildings intermingled in an unorganised way My vision is to ensure that the constituency develops in a more planned mannerHow do you respond to your opponents who claim that you are an outsider and therefore unaware of the local issuesThe current MLA Sunil Prabhu is himself an outsider Residents complain that he is rarely available during the day as he only arrives at the office after midnight How can people be expected to access their representative late at nightThe Shiv Sena UBT MLA is confident of winning a third term citing his extensive work for the peopleRegarding development my challenge to him is simple show me one significant project hersquos completed in the constituency over the past 10 years I believe his performance as an MLA has been inadequateHow do you plan to tackle air pollutionMuch of the pollution is due to construction work which generates dust while sanitation issues add to the problem with garbage often left on or beside the roads My priority will be to protect the forested areas in the constituency while ensuring that residents have basic amenitiesYour opponent claims that your change of parties raises questions about your credibilityEveryone should have the freedom to make decisions Have I switched parties multiple times My life is an open book I was a dedicated Shiv Sainik under the guidance of Balasaheb Thackeray who trusted me Due to some differences I left Shiv Sena and joined Congress where I stayed for 20 years Now I have returned to Shiv Sena my original home and this does not make me a ldquodal badlurdquo