Piyush Goyal Challenges 'Outsider' Tag Against 'Bhoomi Putra' Bhushan Patil in Mumbai North

In Mumbai North, Piyush Goyal challenges the 'outsider' label against 'bhoomi putra' Bhushan Patil.

In Mumbai North, Piyush Goyal is challenging the 'outsider' label against 'bhoomi putra' Bhushan Patil.

In Mumbai, BJP leader Piyush Goyal is grappling with the task of shedding the "outsider" label, while Congress's Bhushan Patil is leveraging the identity of being a "bhoomi putra" in the Mumbai North constituency.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and Congress leader Varsha Gaikwad previously labeled Goyal as an "outsider" earlier this month.

In response to the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi's accusation of him being an outsider, Goyal asserted, “There can be nobody more Mumbaikar than me.”

"That is a very ridiculous argument. Not even worth responding to. I am a born Mumbaikar. Lived in Mumbai all my life, worked in Mumbai all my life," Goyal conveyed to PTI during a roadshow.

The Rajya Sabha MP, who commenced his career as a chartered accountant, is the son of former BJP minister Vedprakash Goyal and Chandrakanta Goyal, a three-term BJP MLA from Matunga.

Goyal specified that he was born in Mumbai, attended H R College and Government Law College, and initiated his Chartered Accountancy practice in Lalbaug. He further mentioned working as an investment banker on Nepean Sea Road.

The challenge for Goyal, in proving his Mumbai residency, lies in matching the impressive winning margin of 4.65 lakh votes secured by BJP’s Gopal Shetty in the previous election.

Out of the 9.88 lakh votes cast in 2019, Shetty obtained 7.05 lakh, while Congress nominee Urmila Matondkar received 2.41 lakh.

Meanwhile, Congress' Patil is emphasizing his local roots and Maharashtrian identity to attract maximum support for his party.

Additionally, the Congress leader is making efforts to appeal to the BJP's traditional voter base, the Gujarati community, by involving his wife, a Gujarati Jain, in his campaign.

Patil also benefits from the support of Shiv Sena leader Vinod Ghosalkar, whose son, former corporator Abhishek Ghosalkar, tragically lost his life in Borivali earlier this year during a Facebook Live interaction with his constituents.

Patil emphasized that he is a "bhoomi putra" who intends to remain among his constituents in Borivali and be accessible 24x7 to address their concerns.

Goyal's candidacy was announced much earlier than Patil's, granting the BJP leader an early advantage. He conducted rallies and extensively toured the constituency long before Patil's nomination was declared.

Advocate Sonal D Gondane of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi is also contesting in the election.

Historically, the Mumbai North seat has been a stronghold for the BJP, with former Union Minister Ram Naik winning five consecutive elections from 1989 to 2004.

In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, actor Govinda, representing the Congress, defeated Naik.

In 2009, Sanjay Nirupam won as a Congress candidate. In the subsequent two elections in 2014 and 2019, Gopal Shetty emerged victorious. However, he is not contesting this time, and instead, the BJP nominated Goyal.

Shetty is actively participating in campaigning alongside Goyal and is a regular presence at most rallies and padyatras throughout the constituency.

Among the six assembly constituencies that are part of the Mumbai North parliamentary constituency, four are represented by BJP MLAs, while one has an MLA from the ally Shiv Sena, led by CM Eknath Shinde. Only one constituency, Malad West, has a Congress MLA.

The assembly seats comprise Borivali, Dahisar, Magathane, Kandivali East, Charkop, and Malad West.

The BJP MLAs are Manisha Chaudhary, Sunil Rane, Atul Bhatkhalkar, and Yogesh Sagar. Prakash Surve is the Shiv Sena MLA from Magathane, while Aslam Shaikh is the Congress MLA from Malad West.

This article has been generated from an automated news agency feed and has not been modified.