In Bandra West, the Assembly poll candidates know that they can ignore neither the active residents’ groups nor the sizeable majority of slum residents.

As the two leading contenders brace for a close contest, each is trying to woo the other’s voter base. Two-time BJP corporator Ashish Shelar believes he has built support among residents’ groups in his long stint in the BMC. He is trying to widen his reach to the slum pockets, which form 60 per cent of the constituency. Over the last few months, he has been donating to Ganesh mandals and Dahi Handi groups.

The rival Congress candidate, Minster of State Baba Siddiqui, on the other hand, has a strong base among the Muslim voters in the slums, who account for 70,000 of an electorate of 2.97 lakh. For the polls, Siddiqui is trying to garner support from residents’ groups. Last month, he tried to get over thousands of dustbins, all bought with his MLA funds, distributed among housing societies.

The constituency is a traditional Congress stronghold; in the Lok Sabha elections, Priya Dutt polled the highest victory margin in Mumbai. But this time factors are at work against Siddiqui, a two-time MLA and a two-time corporator from Bandra. “Factions of the NCP and the Congress workers are campaigning against Siddiqui. Also, the Sena-BJP votes will not be split as there is no MNS candidate,” said a party worker.

Also eating into the Congress’ vote share would be local corporator and Congress rebel Rahebar Khan from Bandra Reclamation, who is contesting as an Independent. Besides, Priya’s brother Sanjay Dutt has brought a family feud into the open by supporting Samajwadi candidate Rizwan Merchant.

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