17 corporators in race to Assembly

Of the 60-odd corporators of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation who had hoped to contest the Assembly elections, 17 will eventually take on senior politicians, 16 with party tickets and the 17th as a rebel. Several of Mumbai's seats will see corporators take on the current MLAs.

The Shiv Sena has been the most generous with tickets to eight corporators, followed by the Congress with four and the BJP with three. One MNS corporator will contest, while the 17th is NCP corporator Ajit Ravrane who has rebelled against the Congress-NCP alliance's official candidate in Dindoshi, Rajhans Singh.

Fielding corporators is a political strategy; as a senior BJP leader put it: "People know them as they are elected representatives and have development work to show as their credentials."

"Most MLAs are not even seen in their constituency after being elected,"said a corporator contesting from the suburbs. "But people know corporators' offices and residences; they even have our numbers and can bank on us. Moreover they know that we work in the wards."

The Sena has pitched several corporators against senior Congress MLAs. Ravindra Waikar will contest against Bhai Jagtap (Jogeshwari East), Vishnu Korgaonkar against Ashok Jadhav (Andheri West), Yashodhar Phanse against Baldev Khosa (Versova), Ramesh Latke against Suresh Shetty (Andheri East), Yeshwant Jadhav against Madhu Chavan (Byculla) and Ashish Chemburkar against NCP MLA Sachin Ahir.

BJP leader in the BMC Ashish Shelar, who has been active in Bandra West over the last two years, is taking on the Congress's Baba Siddique whose influence, especially in the slum areas of Vandre (West), has remained strong for two decades.

Congress corporator Amin Patel is taking on MLA Bashir Patel of the NCP who has rebelled and is contesting as an Independent from the Mumbadevi constituency.

Waikar, who is fighting the Assembly polls for the second time, said being a corporator always helps. "Your work speaks for you. Since you roam the area of which you are a corporator, people know you and you don't need to establish yourself," he said.

Congress leader Singh has been given a ticket from Dindoshi though he is the corporator of a Kurla ward. "People know me and my work because I am leader of the Opposition in the BMC. They will vote for me irrespective of which area I come from because they know I can work for them," he said. Singh will be contesting against his Sena counterpart in the BMC, the leader of the BMC house and Shiv Sena corporator Sunil Prabhu.

BIG TICKETShiv Sena:Ravindra Waikar (Jogeshwari East), Sunil Prabhu (Dindoshi), Vishnu Korgaonkar (Andheri West), Ashish Chemburkar (Worli), Bala Sawant (Bandra East), Yeshwant Jadhav (Byculla), Yashodhar Phanse (Versova), Ramesh Latke (Andheri East)Congress:Aslam Sheikh (Malad West), Rajhans Singh (Dindoshi), Amin Patel (Mumbadevi), Ramesh Thakur Singh (Kandivli East)BJP:Ashish Shelar (Bandra West), Yogesh Sagar (Kandivli East), Manisha Kayande (Sion-Koliwada)MNS:Mangesh Sangle (Vikhroli)Rebel:Ajit Ravrane of NCP (Dindoshi)

I hereby declare...MP Lodha (54) | BJPConstituency:Malabar HillMovable assetsTotalRs 34,47,63,261Vehicles:Mercedes (Rs 44,47,056), Tata Indica (Rs 1,96,054)Jewellery:Rs.1,29,78,874 (self), Rs 80,71,806 (wife)Cash:Rs 41,575 (self), Rs 38,259 (spouse)Immovable assetsTotal:Rs 34,16,70,000Agricultural land:Mundhwa 33,200 sq ft, Rs 6,00,000Non-agriculture land and flats:Karjat 28,500 sq m (Rs 3,18,00,000), Vasai 1 acre (Rs 1,46,00,000), Shah and Nahar Industrial Estate 965 sq ft (Rs 1,08,00,000); property in Vardhaman Chambers (Rs 2,60,00,000), flat in Anupam CHS Walkeshwar (Rs 7,21,00,000; co-owner with wife Manjula Lodha); in Riverwood Park, Village Sagarli (Rs 11,70,000); in Lodha Costeria (Rs 11,25,00,000)Liability:Rs 7,72,30,149Criminal Charges:5 cases pending
Shweta Desai