Can BJP'S Tamil Selvan Retain Sion Koliwada Constituency?
As elections for the 288 Maharashtra assembly are scheduled to be held on November 20, the Sion Koliwada constituency is bracing for an intense battle between Congress and the BJP. Placing its confidence in the sitting MLA, the BJP has renominated Tamil Selvan, who wrested back Sion Koliwada from Congress’ Jagannath Shetty during the 2014 assembly elections.
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Congress has fielded Ganesh Kumar Yadav against the sitting MLA, who in 2019 had given a tough fight to the BJP candidate. Yadav secured 40,894 votes, becoming the runner-up, while BJP’s Tamil Selvan polled 54,845.
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BJP MLA Selvan says he has confidence in reelection from his sitting seat, noting that he was responsive to the people’s woes.
However, there is criticism against Selvan, especially for poor governance and neglect of crucial issues concerning Sion Koliwada. According to the Praja Foundation, which assesses the performance of the legislators, Selvan ranked 15th among MLAs. It was a drop from the previous term, pointing out that the MLA failed to raise quality issues in the assembly. Selvan’s criminal records have also gone up, marking his tenure tainted.
A ground survey, conducted by The Free Press Journal, cited several people from Sion Koliwada complaining about the roads, traffic management, slum redevelopment, among other things. Several people pointed out the stagnant projects in the constituency, wondering if the MLA funds were properly utilized.
The Congress candidate, Yadav, who is vying against Selvan, has said that no visible progress was made in the constituency, despite having substantial funds. He also alleged that the MLA has not taken any initiative for education and sports infrastructure for middle and lower income groups.
Asserting that change was inevitable, Yadav said Selvan was elected by luck and the people are more aware now. Given the prevalent situation in the constituency, it would be hard to assume that the incumbent MLA could reclaim the Sion Koliwada.
