MUMBAI: Kalidas Kolambkar, the BJP MLA from the Wadala constituency in Mumbai, has exuded confidence in winning the ninth straight term in the Maharashtra assembly elections, stressing his track record of public service and commitment to non-divisive politics. The senior politician, who worked with Shiv Sena (undivided) and Congress before joining BJP in 2019, said he never believed in “Batenge to Katenge” politics. He emphasised that Muslim voters in this constituency will stand behind him.
Kolambkar claimed he would enter the Guinness Book of World Records for winning nine elections on the trot.
He is pitted against Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate and ex-mayor of Mumbai Shraddha Jadhav from the Wadala constituency (earlier Naigaon), considered the biggest area-wise in the island city of Mumbai.
The constituency is marked by slums in the east and skyscrapers in the west. It houses vegetable, flower, and cloth markets in Dadar and Parel, as well as cloth manufacturing units in Wadala.
Dominated by Marathi voters, Wadala constituency also includes pockets of Muslim, Parasi, and Dalit populations.
“I am contesting assembly polls for the ninth term and certain to win on the back of work I have done for people in my political career. I will enter the Guinness Book after my victory,” Kolambkar, 71, told PTI in an exclusive interview, three days ahead of Maharashtra going to polls.
Kolambkar, who started his political career with undivided Shiv Sena, hasn’t lost a single election since 1990.
He first became MLA on the Shiv Sena ticket from the erstwhile Naigaon assembly constituency, renamed Wadala after delimitation in 2009.
“I have worked at grassroots. I know voters and they know my work over the last 40-45 years. I don’t have any tension about winning the ninth term,” he added.
Kolambkar claimed he would join the league of the seniormost legislators in Maharashtra who have won multiple terms.
Election data shows Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat has remained undefeated in the last 40 years. He had won his first assembly election from Sangamner constituency in Ahmednagar district as an Independent candidate.
The late Ganapatrao Deshmukh had won the highest 11 terms from the Sangola assembly constituency in Solapur district of Maharashtra.
Kolambkar, however, claimed he has been contesting and winning without break since the 1990s, unlike Deshmukh.
“Ganapatrao Deshmukh was elected for 10 terms which included a break in his fifth term. I am winning continuously,” he said.
A Bal Thackeray loyalist, Kolambkar quit Shiv Sena with Narayan Rane in 2005 and subsequently joined the Congress.
Kolambkar said Bal Thackeray was his political mentor.
The MLA claimed he left Congress in 2019 because the party ignored development of Wadala constituency and didn’t accomplish pending works on police housing, redevelopment of BDD chawls, additional FSI for mill workers’ homes.
He joined the BJP after Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis assured him to fulfil the pending works.
Kolambkar won on the BJP ticket from his home turf in the 2019 assembly polls by defeating his nearest Congress rival by more than 31,000 votes.
Kolambkar claimed he polled more votes from new areas added to the Wadala constituency post-delimitation.
“It doesn’t make any difference who is in power. My constituency was delimited several times but I stood my ground,” he added.
When asked whether Muslim voters will support him in the face of “Batenge toh Katenge” slogans being raised by some BJP leaders, apparently aimed at communal polarization.
“I never used this (Batenge toh Katenge) principle in the last 40-45 years. Muslim voters in my constituency might not vote for the BJP, but they will surely vote for KK (Kalidas Kolambkar). I won multiple times as I never played caste and communal politics,” he added.
Kolambkar said his opponent Shraddha Jadhav posed no challenge to him as he had contested against her in the past.
“Entire Mumbai was brought to defeat me during the bypoll, but I won by 37,000 votes,” he added.
