02 May,2024 04:01 PM IST | Mumbai | Ainie Rizvi
Party workers arrived for the filing of nominations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024 at the Mumbai Suburban District Collectorate in Bandra East. Pic/Ainie Rizvi
With "Jai Maharashtra!" chants, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) party workers on Thursday afternoon marched along with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) Mumbai North West candidate Amol Kirtikar for filing his nomination for the Lok Sabha elections 2024.
The Congress candidate from Mumbai North seat Bhushan Patil, too filed his nomination on Thursday at the Bandra Collectorate in Mumbai.
Thousands of people rallied in support of the INDIA bloc and Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition for the Lok Sabha elections 2024, resulting in prolonged traffic congestion in the surrounding neighbourhoods of Kherwadi, Kalanagar, and Gandhi Nagar in Bandra East in Mumbai.
Bhavna Jain, a spokesperson and general secretary of Maharashtra Congress said, "This election is very crucial. We have gathered here to fight against peaking inflation, unemployment amongst youth and the ever-widening divide between Hindus and Muslims under the rule of BJP."
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As the the MVA candidates marched towards filing their nominations, the party workers were seen holding flags and the party symbols.
Poonam Avirkar, a supporter of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction, pointed out that the biggest concern among people is the threat that the BJP will amend the constitution if it wins the election this time.
On March 30, BJP candidate Jyoti Mirdha contesting from Nagaur Rajastan was heard saying: "Desh ke hit mein kai kathor nirnay karne padhte hain. Unke liye humein samvidhanik badlav karne padhte hain. (Several tough decisions need to be taken in the country's interest and for that we have to make constitutional amendments.)"
Another BJP MP Anant Hegde has also reportedly said that "if we get 400 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, we will change the constitution.
With an increasing number of BJP candidates allegedly advocating for constitutional amendments, concern about losing their rights has spurred individuals from distant corners of the state to come together in unity.
Adivasis from Aarey Colony in Mumbai also joined the rally outside Chetana College in a bid to extend their support to the anti-BJP alliance.
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Bringing focus back to unemployment and lack of education, a leader of Mumbai Adivasi Congress questioned, "There is Goods and Services Tax (GST) being charged even on school books - what will Adivasis study?"
Supporters of the INDIA bloc appeared vehemently opposed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi securing another term in office. When questioned about their stance on Modi's efforts to forge international relations, a woman supporter of the INDIA Alliance supporter, who attended the rally in Bandra east, remarked, "These relations have helped his business colleagues and not Indians. PM Modi should firstly prioritise the well-being of his own country's citizens before enhancing India's relations with other nations."
Swapnil Waghmare, Leader at Yuva Sena's Solapur unit told this reporter, "We have come together today to send a clear message to the BJP. The ruckus caused by their misuse of the Enforcement Directorate will be addressed proportionally."
A recent report by Indian Express revealed that between 2014 and September 2022, 121 prominent leaders came under ED radar, 115 of them Opposition leaders; the list has grown since. Expanding on these allegations, a supporter of the Aam Aadmi Party remarked that the arrest of Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, by the Enforcement Directorate is the peak example of dictatorship that our country is reeling under. "We are fighting to safeguard constitutional bodies as well," he added.
