‘Will seek votes on basis of UPA govt performance’

The former three-term MLA from Dharavi is planning to contest for his second innings in a constituency that has seen its name and boundaries being changed in the delimitation. The following are excerpts from an interview:

What will be your poll plank?
My main plank will be the performance of the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre in the last five years and the manifesto of the Congress Party. My work as an MP,public contacts,relations with people and my work aimed at redressal of public grievances will also be important.

Mumbai East MP Gurudas Kamat was also in the race for your constituency. Do you see any threat from your rivals within the party?
I do not feel that such an atmosphere exists. I have been moving around in Chembur and Anushakti Nagar (earlier part of Kamat’s constituency) for the past two days and meeting MLAs and corporators. I cannot sense any discrimination. Gurudas (Kamat) also belongs to the Congress. In a democracy,all feel that they must get a nomination and nothing will happen once my nomination has been declared by Sonia Gandhi and the high command. I am also organising a conclave of workers at Sion where Gurudas will also be present.

Sena candidate Gambhir has pockets of support even among minority voters,apart from the significant number of Maharashtrians. Do you see a strong threat from the Shiv Sena?
This will not be of any trouble. Gambhir was elected an MLA with a margin of just over 2,000 votes,and the Congress candidate came number two. Of the seven MLAs in the constituency,five belong to the Congress and two to the Sena. This election is for power at the Centre and is being fought on the policies of the party. My contacts with people will also help. If the constituency was so easy for the Sena,Manohar Joshi would have contested here. However,I am not underestimating Suresh Gambhir.

Your constituency of North Central Mumbai was seen to be jinxed for people who were trying to get re-elected. Barring Sharad Dighe of the Shiv Sena who was elected in 1984 and 1991,the constituency has a record of seeing sitting MPs biting the dust.
I have been elected since 1985 from Dharavi. Before I was elected,it was said no one could be elected twice from the constituency. I have won thrice and my daughter (Varsha Gaikwad) has been elected once. We are people who make history.

There is resentment in your stronghold of Dharavi over the arbitrary method in which the Dharavi redevelopment has been initiated. Do you expect a backlash?
There is no reason for the people to be cross. Some (Sena) tried to mislead them by asking for 400-sq ft houses,but Dharavi is a difficult slum and giving 400-sq ft houses is not possible owing to the density of population. People have realised the double standards (of the Sena). They (Sena) are also not seeking 400-sq ft houses in the SRA projects that are underway as the work has been undertaken by their builders. We have promised 300-sq ft carpet area houses. If we wanted to cheat them,we could have promised 400 to 450-sq ft super carpet area houses,but we told the truth. I will also get votes from areas like Dadar and Prabhadevi as I have taken up problems of the old buildings. I expect more votes than last time from these areas as earlier Manohar Joshi was in the fray and they had no option. Now they have an option.

What will be the impact of the MNS?
The MNS will eat into the Sena votes. I will not be surprised to get a lead in the Dadar Mahim constituency owing to it.