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This is an archive article published on April 18, 2009

‘People will vote for me as I am accessible to all’

How do you rate your prospects in the Kalyan constituency which is said to be a traditional stronghold of the saffron alliance? Kalyan seat is not a stronghold of the Shiv Sena.

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NCP candidate from KalyanVasant Dawkharelost the 2004 Lok Sabha election in Thane by a mere 22,000 votes. He has promised development and infrastructure projects,and is more confident than last time,he tellsN GANESHin an interview

How do you rate your prospects in the Kalyan constituency which is said to be a traditional stronghold of the saffron alliance?
Kalyan seat is not a stronghold of the Shiv Sena. It is a myth that Sena has created to mislead the people. Instead,the Sena taken the people for granted. My defeat in the 2004 Lok Sabha polls in Thane by the Sena candidate was the only blemish in my long political career. Despite the odds,I have emerged victorious in the Mayoral and other elections. This time,I am confident of winning by a huge margin. People would vote for me because I am accessible to all of them and can relate to all walks of life as I have risen from grassroots level.

You are upbeat despite your defeat in Thane in 2004 polls?
Before 2004 LS polls,none of the rival candidates of the Sena-BJP alliance had got more than 3 lakh votes. Though I lost,I had registered about 6 lakh votes – double the vote share of the first runner-up in Thane poll records. I had suffered a setback from Murbad and Ulhasnagar regions where I did not receive expected leads. Also,Dombivli played a major role in Sena’s victory in 2004.

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Pundalik Mhatre,local leader from Kalyan-Dombivli has quit NCP to join the Shiv Sena. How will his absence affect the party’s prospects in Kalyan?
Mhatre’s quitting will not have any impact on the NCP in Kalyan. Though he has physically joined the Sena,Mhatre is still mentally attached to the NCP. When I can maintain good relations with top Sena leaders,can I not maintain good relations with leader who quit NCP to join the Sena? I have always believed in taking everybody together. People cutting across party lines have wholeheartedly extended their support to me and my initiatives.

What are the promises that you have made to the voters?
Besides upgrading Kalyan junction to the status of railway terminus and redevelopment of Dombivli and Mumbra railway stations,I have also proposed a road parallel to the Kalyan-Mumbra railway lines. I have promised setting up of Urdu institutes at Mumbra and completion of Kalyan-Shil Road.

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