Vijay Salaskar's daughter endorses Kshitij Thakur against ex-top cop

(From left) Divya Salaskar, Bahujan Vikas Aghadi candidate Kshitij Thakur and Pradeep Sharma is contesting on a Sena ticket from Nalasopara. File pics

The poll season seems to have revived the ghosts of fabled police rivalries of the past. With a short Instagram post on Wednesday evening, the late Vijay Salaskar's daughter Divya brought past memories flooding for the city's old-timers. Divya's post was in support of Kshitij Thakur, the sitting Nalasopara MLA and Bahujan Vikas Aghadi candidate. Thakur's opponent is Pradeep Sharma (Shiv Sena), Mumbai's most storied encounter cop.

Salaskar, who died on the night of 26/11 terror attacks, and Sharma were said to have been rivals back in their time, and Divya's open support for his opponent has caused flutters in police and political circles.

"As we walk into a new era of politics, we need new and young faces that are willing to work towards the actual upliftment of India. Kshitij being educated from Harvard and Stanford stands out from the rest and has global vision. Young dynamic leaders like him keep hopes still alive for Indian politics. All the best for the upcoming election," Divya's message said.

Both Sharma and Salaskar are from the 1983 batch of Maharashtra Police and rose to prominence in the 1990s with a string of encounters aimed to eliminate the Mumbai underground.

Last month, Sharma took voluntary retirement and joined the Shiv Sena. Sharma did not respond to mid-day's messages till press time. Divya was not reachable. Thakur said, "I stand committed for the development of the constituency. I welcome those who support and endorse my candidature."

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