Last day,final push

After roadshows and meetings in Pune’s Khadakvasla,Parvati and Vadgaon Sheri constituencies on Tuesday morning,Chavan arrived in Mumbai and proceeded immediately on a short roadshow,passing through Kalina,Bandra (East) and Mahim.

Guardian minister for the suburbs,Naseem Khan,also conducted a roadshow for 15 candidates in the eastern suburbs from Chandivali through Ghatkopar and Kurla. Congress MP Priya Dutt and Vile Parle MLA Krishna Hegde led a bike rally through Vile Parle covering seven wards in the western suburbs,all incidentally reserved for women. They were joined by actor Parikshit Sahni.

“The prominent sense at the end of campaigning is one of tiredness,” Hegde joked,adding,“We are very confident of doing well,our candidates definitely have the edge.”

In south-central Mumbai,Congress MP Eknath Gaikawad responded to the Shiv Sena’s references to the renaming of a university after Dr B R Ambedkar by asking Bal Thackeray,Gopinath Munde and others to apologise to the people of Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar,Ghatkopar.

Senior NCP leader and Home Minister R R Patil campaigned for NCP and Congress candidates in central Mumbai through the evening,covering Matunga,Wadala and Sewri along with MLA and Minister of State for Housing Sachin Ahir.

Raj Thackeray traveled the congested streets from Colaba to Dadar in a motorcade with a large number of vehicles. The rally which began around noon in Fort concluded in the evening at Parel. Raj rarely stepped out of his car,but at certain points along the way shook hands with his party candidate before moving on.

“I am not doing any roadshow to wave at people. I am only going to meet my candidates in the areas to give them a boost as there has been limited time to campaign for the elections,” Raj said. He had done similar roadshows last week in the western and eastern suburbs with his family.

In the last leg of his 10-day campaign for elections,Aaditya Thackeray largely targeted areas in Priya Dutt’s constituency. The rally which began at 10 am in Sion ended at 3.30 pm in Andheri after passing through the government colony in Bandra East,Vakola in Santacruz East and later,Chakala,Mahakali Caves and Shere-e-Punjab locality in Andheri.

Traffic all but stopped at Andheri’s congested Bisleri junction as a stream of supporters on motorcycles and cars,waving saffron flags and shouting Shiv Sena slogans,went past. “I heard a lot of noise and then saw Aaditya Thackeray shaking hands with people. I got stuck in the crowd but would have loved to greet him,” 20-year old S Acharya said.