Mumbai Congress questions 'Modi wave'

Mumbai, March 24 (IANS) The Mumbai unit of the Congress Monday questioned the veracity of the much-publicised "Narendra Modi wave" in India and demanded to know why the BJP was hunting for a "safe seat" for its prime ministerial candidate.

Addressing an election rally in Borivali in northwest Mumbai, Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam said this displayed the lack of confidence in the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate as he is contesting from two seats - one in Gujarat and the other in Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress is aiming for a hattrick in Mumbai North constituency, previously considered a BJP bastion till Bollywood actor Govinda emerged the surprise winner in 2004 as a Congress candidate.

In 2009, Nirupam followed suit by bagging the seat for the Congress and is now attempting a repeat performance. He will be challenged by the BJP's Gopal Shetty.

Lauding Nirupam's performance, Mumbai Congress president Janardhan Chandurkar said the parliamentarian had succeeded in just a single term in resolving problems affecting the public that had been pending for 25 years.

"The people of India are well aware of the anti-people policies of the BJP and its real face has been revealed. We are confident that people will re-elect Nirupam based on public service rather than just empty promises," he said.

Nirupam said the north Indian migrant population - which makes a significant chunk of the electorate in Mumbai North constituency and the country's commercial capital as a whole - has stood solidly behind the Congress and will continue to do so.

Congress ally and district Nationalist Congress Party president Prakash Surve urged party workers to work for Nirupam's victory and help create history in Mumbai North.

Besides BJP's Shetty, Nirupam will also face Aam Aadmi Party candidate Satish Jain, a graduate from the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore, in Mumbai North which was once represented by stalwarts like V.B. Gandhi and the legendary V.K. Krishna Menon.