With nine new electoral wards, community members get split in several places, say move will hamper their representation
Devendra Tandel, president of Akhil Maharashtra Machhimar Kruti Samiti, at Badhwar Park, Cuffe Parade. Pic/Suresh Karkera
The decision of increasing three electoral wards each in Mumbai, western and eastern suburbs has not gone down well with the fishing community—one of the early inhabitants of the island city. Earlier this week, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation released the first draft list of 236 electoral ward boundaries for the upcoming polls by adding nine new wards to the existing 227. A total of 94 fishing settlements are located in and around the city limits and 31 of these are koliwadas while the remaining 63 are gaothans.
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Koli votes split
“The BMC’s strategy to announce and redraw the new electoral map is skewed. This will severely hamper our prospects of getting representation and dent our votes. We are asking for representation on the basis of our community’s population in Mumbai. This is an attempt to break the votes and unity of the fisherfolk. This divide-and-rule policy is not healthy. Cuffe Parade and Colaba have approximately 4,500 and 6,500 voters, respectively. Worli Koliwada too has now been split in wards 199 and 200,” said Devendra Tandel, president of Akhil Maharashtra Machhimar Kruti Samiti.
Fisherfolk have called the strategy to redraw the map skewed. File pic
Colaba fishing village was part of Cuffe Parade Machhimar Nagar and fell under ward no. 235. As per the redrawn map, the Colaba settlement, which is across the road from Cuffe Parade, is now in ward no. 234 in Fort. “Earlier, a combined ward-cum-cluster was guaranteeing us votes and representation. We have been split up because of opposition to their policies, especially the Coastal Road project. The Worli Koliwada community had seething anger against the Shiv Sena and their anti-fisherfolk policies. Because of our opposition, they were scared and wanted to pass decisions that do not favour our community. Now they are getting back at us by splitting us,” said Tandel. Even the BMC has clarified that the move to redraw the electoral map will impact the ward boundaries of around 70 per cent seats in the city.
The fisherfolk believe
fishing villages must not be broken as it destroys the culture and erodes the activity from its roots. Tandel said, “Let these hamlets remain together. With the new wards, we have only two representatives from the community as compared to the 40 earlier.” Pradip Tapke, a leader and resident of Versova Koliwada, said “Authorities should have kept in mind the population of the fishing community. Votes will be split in several wards and the community members are upset at not getting enough representation. However, our unity means a stronger voting power and the numbers will speak for themselves when the results are declared. Around 90 per cent of koliwadas prefer Shiv Sena candidates, and this fact was clearly ignored by them. This demarcation will lead to their loss.”
Sena corporators deflect
Hemangi Worlikar, former deputy mayor and Shiv Sena corporator from Worli Koliwada, said, “I am still studying the new demarcation and doing my own research so that I can raise an objection and ask them why they introduced this new system.” Milind Vaidya, a Sena corporator from ward 182, said “I am a fisherman from the Koli community and my ward remains unaffected by the demarcation. I cannot speak about other wards and the problems they are facing, but I am getting the support of our community because I do the work.”
236
No. of wards as per the new map
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