It has been less than a week since Dr Shubha Raul, former Mumbai mayor and Shiv Sena loyalist for 12 years, switched to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) to contest the Assembly elections. Nothing much has changed at her office in Dahisar (West), except for the huge picture of Balasaheb Thackeray, which has now been partially covered with the MNS’s blue-orange-green flag in order to hide the words ‘Shiv Sena’. Raul, after her door-to-door campaigning, admits she was offered a MNS ticket over a month ago which she declined in the hope of getting one from the Sena. “I changed my mind when Vinod Ghosalkar (sitting MLA at Dahisar) publicly said that he has ‘managed’ me and there are no charges against him. Sena had isolated me. On Friday night, Raj Thackeray asked me whether I wish to sit at home and do nothing about it or if I would like to contest against Ghosalkar.” While Raul waited since January for Sena to take action against Ghosalkar, who has charges of mental harassment pressed against him, she says ‘gender bias’ in the party got Ghosalkar a ticket for second term. As Raul gears up to campaign for October 15 elections, on her table, two stacks of pamphlets— one of her manifesto and second of a local newspaper with anti-Ghosalkar reports— sit. Over a dozen visitors, who have come to discuss their ward issues with her are handed over the manifesto— printed in Marathi and Gujarati. Raul, a Marathi brought up in Gujarat, is fluent at both languages. The Dahisar constituency with 3.17 lakh population is 40 per cent Gujarati and 40 per cent Marathi. In a five cornered fight, she is contending with NCP’s Harish Shetty, Congress’ Sheetal Mhatre, Sena’s Ghosalkar and BJP’s Chowdhary. Her manifesto focuses on Dahisar river’s clean-up, mangroves protection, women protection, chain snatching and traffic issues. Raul, who is also a health committee member in corporation, plans to work on implementation of World Health Organisation guidelines on adult vaccination. She had campaigned for making MMR vaccine free of cost in the city. Raul is hopeful that her individual identity will go beyond party politics and garner votes. An MNS volunteer said, “Our priority is to now communicate that her party symbol has changed to the engine.” “At night Raul visits all garba mandals and bhajan events to talk to ladies,” the volunteer said. The pocket has 50 per cent women voters, Raul is banking on their support. While one slum dweller did not know Raul, another, from Ganpat Patil Nagar, said, “I want the path outside my shanty to be fixed. I have come to talk to her about that. If she helps, we will vote for her.” tabassum.barnagarwala@expressindia.com
