Versova: As Sitting MLA Bharati Lavekar Eyes Hattrick, Opposition Banks On Anti-Incumbency

Versova in Maharashtra is bracing for an unpredictable battle between sitting BJP MLA Bharati Lavekar and the opposition MVA candidate. Representing MVA, Shiv Sena UBT’s Haroon Rashid Khan is vying against the BJP legislator. Versova has been witnessing competing electoral fight between the BJP and Congress for the past few decades. During the 2019 assembly elections, the sitting MLA, who has been representing the seat since 2014, defeated the Congress candidate Baldev Khosa by a narrow margin of around 5,000 votes.

In 2014, Lavekar captured Versova from Congress’ then sitting MLA Baldev Khosa. However, with the BJP renominating the two-time MLA, there have been reports of anti-incumbency lingering in the constituency.

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A PhD holder, the BJP MLA was one among those picked by the United States to study the legislative elections in America in 2006. However, over the past ten years, Lavekar’s administration has been assessed as lacking quality by the Praja Foundation. Though Lavekar kept a clean criminal record with good attendance, she allegedly failed to raise quality questions in the assembly.

There were also reportedly pending projects and unresolved issues in the constituency, including the Versova-Madh bridge, brigade station at Chitrakoot Grounds, and post office near Taraporewala Tower.

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Moreover, the anti-establishment sentiment among the voters in the constituency was manifested in the recently held Lok Sabha elections. The constituency had given a lead of over 20,000 votes to the MVA candidate, reflecting the voters’ disillusionment in the assembly segment.

With the BJP placing its confidence in Lavekar for another term, it has become hard to infer the poll outcome. The MLA has expressed confidence in hea hattrick victory, pointing out the development efforts carried out by her.

Notably, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has also nominated candidate Raiees Yasin Lashkaria from the constituency. In 2014, the party had accumulated 17 percent of the vote share, just two percent short of being a runner-up. The MVA’s pick of Rashid Khan, a Shiv Sena UBT loyalist, was purportedly to counter Lashkaria’s nomination from the constituency.

After being nominated, Lashkaria said voters should not think of him as just a Muslim candidate, adding that he wants to work for every community and focus on development works. The AIMIM candidate pointed out that no single infrastructure project has been completed in the last ten years in the constituency, alleging the failure of the BJP legislator. He further noted that he has confidence in winning the seat, as 40 percent of the constituency’s population is from minority communities.