The first meeting of the newly elected corporators of Mumbai will be held next month, and eight Patels, four Shahs, one Mehta and one Gala, are set to march into the BMC House. Maharashtra civic polls results announced last week saw national party BJP gain in city corporations. A major chunk of its seats have statistically come from the belt between Dahisar, Goregaon, Mulund Ghatkopar, and the south Mumbai stretch from Tardeo-Nana Chowk to Walkeshwar-Malabar Hill. All the areas are largely populated by Gujaratis, and recorded a significant surge in voting.
Between Dahisar and Goregoan, in the north, over 50 per cent BJP candidates won. Of a total of 58 seats, 32 were secured. Borivli candidate Pravin Shah won by 19,580 votes, a staggering number for a ward with only 40,000 voters. In a seemingly smart move, the BJP boosted its chances by offering tickets to several Gujaratis. Of the 82 candidates that won, 26 belong to Gujarati-origin. The party won two tickets in Ghatkopar. "We could not have won, but for the loyalty of Gujarati workers towards BJP," said a BJP worker.
All six seats were swept in Mulund, owing to the Gujarati-Kutchi community. Neil Somaiya, son of veteran BJP MP Kirit Somaiya who won from ward 108 in Mulund, said, "The Gujaratis stayed with BJP though there are rival parties pitching for Gujarati and Jain candidates to split votes." This year's Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections brought good news for the Gujarati community which has settled in Mumbai for generations. Almost one-third of the 226 seats in the biggest civic body of India have gone to the community. The victory came despite its NDA ally Shiv Sena deciding to fight the polls independently.
Former chairman of Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council, Sanjay Kothari said he had never seen Gujarati candidates winning in such large numbers in his three decades of stay in Mumbai. "In the municipal election polls, Gujaratis have sailed on BJP's boat. There were other factors responsible. One was the campaigning by Jain Munis after the meat episode outside the derasar, and PAAS leader Hardik Patel joining hands with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray," he said. Ashok Shah, chairman of a logistics firm and vice-president of JITO International, Ashok Shah said, "Gujaratis have earned goodwill by their work in the social sector. When Gujarati candidates stood in the elections, people voted for them."
Vipul Shah, CMD of Asian Star, a global diamond firm, said he was happy to see that Gujaratis have finally become organised. "We have never seen Gujaratis winning so many seats in municipal elections. We are all Mumbaikars but our voice as Gujaratis will be heard in the civic body on local issues." Gujarati candidates who won on BJP tickets include Minal Ruchit Patel from Gamdevi in south Mumbai, Kesarben Patel from Marol and Murji Patel from Chakala in the western suburbs. The Patel list, however, doesn't end here. There is Harsh Patel, Jitendra Patel, Sandeep Patel, Daksha Patel and Lina Patel.
