Citizens for change: These Mumbaikars take political plunge

Mumbai: Tired of a self-serving political class repeatedly letting down their beloved city and not content with just griping about it, a group of Mumbaikars are contesting the upcoming civic polls with a single agenda — change.

The independent candidates, with no political background, are being supported by an umbrella organisation called ‘Mumbai 227', named after the 227 wards under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The group was formed a few months ago by the former director general of police of Punjab and former ambassador to Romania, Julio F. Ribeiro, former chief secretary and ex-BMC chief V.S. Ranganathan and former additional chief secretary (home) Chandra Iyengar, who is on the advisory board of Mumbai 227.

The group is supporting 60 independent candidates across the city for the Febuary 16 polls.

The candidates include a theatre actor, Right to Information (RTI) activists, teachers, a scientist, chartered accountants, a taxi driver, lawyers, social activists, event managers, a policeman's wife and a host of small businessmen.

Overwhelmed

Among them is retired captain Vijay Shivdasani, 69, a former naval officer commander of the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.

"I am truly overwhelmed by the public response but feel exhausted by the electioneering process," Shivdasani told IANS.

The action on the political scene was proving a tad too much for the former navyman, who effortlessly took part in attacks on Karachi and the then East Pakistan in the Bay of Bengal before it became Bangladesh, landing commandos in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, or shepherding top Indian leaders such as Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv Gandhi when they visited installations as prime minister.

His ward is No. 227, comprising the Roman Catholic Church, Colaba Dandi and Navy Nagar, and is also the place where he was born, lived and worked.

Allotted a ceiling fan as his poll symbol, Shivdasani complains that the election department does not appear to take independent candidates seriously.

"All kinds of hurdles are created at different levels. Even the poll symbols are allotted too late, which we are not able to publicise sufficiently," said Shivdasani, who is pitted against 12 other candidates in the small ward.