Mid-day Exclusive: ‘Stepped away from Lok Sabha polls–why should Assembly election matter: Gopal Shetty

Q: Why did you withdraw from the race after filing as an independent candidate?
A: I am not only a two-time MP, a three-time corporator, and a two-time MLA but even before that, I have worked for many years for the party. Overall, my political career has been fortified, and I have been associated with people socially for about 55 years. I have been associated with people since the age of 15. The slum where I lived had no water facility, no toilet, no electricity. While struggling to get these facilities, I reached the doors of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Ram Naik was an MLA in those days. I started with a small unit and 20 people used to work for me. I was doing good work, but Ram Ji said that he didn't want to contest the election but I must contest, so I did. I won the first time, then the second and third time. In 2004, I was asked to contest by replacing the then BJP MLA. I went to that MLA and told him to take care of his ticket because it would be given to me. I will even quote the name - it was Hemendra Mehta, but that didn't stop things. The party told me to contest, so I contested against Hemendra Bhai, a three-time MLA who revolted. I won that election in Mumbai with the highest lead of 52,000 votes. In those days, Borivli, Dahisar, and Magathane had one assembly, but in 2009, one assembly was divided into three, and I contested from Borivli. I won for the fifth time with a high margin and a lead of 39,000 votes, and I continued working.

I withdrew my nomination because I did not want to hurt the party cadre or leaders. Also, this being my eighth election, it might mark the end of my career, and I didn't want a bad patch for myself or my supporters. I just wanted to give out a message to the party that such mistakes should not happen. No one should take any such step that damages the party in any way. I am extremely grateful to the party's top leadership for the respect they gave me. Ram Naik ji, Nitin Gadkari Ji, and Devendra Fadanavis had a huge role to play in this. Vinod Tawde ji came to me thrice. I feel I am not bigger than these people.

Q: What motivated your decision to step forward as an independent candidate?
A: There are a few people in the party - about 10 per cent - who engage in mischief and say to the public and workers that the party would never field outsiders without consulting Gopal Bhai. And this was a bad patch attached to my name. To prove that I was not involved in this, I had to take this step. I went to the district office and declared that I would be taking this step and informed the party, but no one stopped me or came to my house to tell me not to do it. The next morning, my supporters urged me to fill out the form and I nominated myself as an independent candidate.

Q: What were your meetings like with the top leadership in the last couple of days?
A: Gadkari ji called me from Delhi. My leader in Maharashtra is Devendra Fadnavis Ji. If I don't respect his request then it would not be appropriate. After declaring my support for Piyush Goyal ji, Fadnavis Ji came to meet me at my home, which was a big deal. No leader does this frequently, but he came despite my declaration of support. Leaders like him, with good intentions and authentic leadership, aren't found easily.

Q: What led the BJP to field Piyush Goyal as their candidate for Mumbai North in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections instead of you?
A: In 2024, I pitched to withdraw from the elections as I had been fighting elections for a long time. Piyush Goyal ji was brought and being alongside him, I worked towards the elections. And for the third time, we won the North Mumbai seat with the highest number of votes in Maharashtra. While on the rest of the seats we were defeated in Mumbai, but even after losing, I kept on working for the people and the party. I am connected with the party and the people.

I am filled with love for the party because the party brought an ordinary person like me to such a high post, so I will always be grateful to the party. I have never been proud of the fact that I have won elections seven times and with such a big margin. I did not ask for a ticket in this assembly election either. I left the Lok Sabha Election, how does the Assembly election matter to me?

Q. What, then, is the basis of the friction?
A: When Vinod Tawde ji came here in November 2009, the workers and the public were unhappy that if you have such a good local candidate(Gopal Shetty), then why get someone from the outside? I pacified the people. Subsequently, he was replaced by Sunil Rane, and then again people got angry. I explained to the people and pacified them. When Piyush Goyal ji went for the Lok Sabha elections, again the same anger of the people, but that anger was not that much. Because after all, it was the Lok Sabha elections. But still, people questioned that, if you have such a good local candidate why get people from outside?

Q. How did you approach the 2014 and 2019 elections?
A: In 2014, when it came to contesting Lok Sabha, I told the party to field a capable person. I was already working, and I thought if a capable person could be found, two colleges, two hospitals, and such big facilities could be created for North Mumbai. But the public and workers demanded that Gopal Bhai could win by defeating Congress, so the party told me to contest, and I did. The people of Maharashtra made me win with the highest margin. When Urmila Matondkar was nominated in 2019, almost all film stars who contested from my party won because the public had a craze for them. Yet, despite all this, North Mumbai voters, especially Marathi speakers, made me win again with a lead of 75,000 votes.

Q: What is your view on the current MP's efforts in North Mumbai?
A: The MP from our area is doing commendable work. People expect to meet him frequently, but it's challenging as he's a central minister with significant responsibilities. Unlike me, who rose from the position of a corporator to an MP and built connections gradually, he has larger commitments. Therefore, smaller issues must be handled by local representatives rather than bringing every issue to the central minister.

Q: What are the most pressing challenges that the upcoming MLA from Mumbai North should address?
A: North Mumbai is developing rapidly, bringing prosperity but also potential risks. As property values and development surge, there's an increased chance of attracting negative elements. The most pressing issue here will be ensuring security amidst this growth. While development continues, safeguarding the community should be the priority for our elected representatives.

Q: What are your thoughts on Mahayuti's performance in the recent Lok Sabha Elections 2024?
A: It was a challenging election for the Mahayuti alliance. We had a longstanding alliance with Shiv Sena for 25 years, but that partnership eventually broke. The reasons behind the split are known only to the senior leaders involved, such as Uddhav and Amit Bhai. Still, this political shift impacted our unity and election results. While the Bharatiya Janata Party held its ground percentage-wise, we faced setbacks. But I believe with the right leadership, our alliance will emerge stronger. Whatever work has been done in Mumbai in the past 2.5 years under the Mahayuti alliance, has been commendable. We're seeing major developments, like the Mumbai Coastal Road project, which is already opening up phase by phase. When the entire metro route from Colaba to Thane is completed, it will drastically improve commuting and ease of travel. Projects like these will transform the face of Mumbai within the next five years, benefiting Maharashtra as a whole and fostering growth.

Q: What qualities make leaders like Devendra Fadnavis and Narendra Modi special, in your opinion?
A: Leaders like Devendra Fadnavis and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are exceptional for their authenticity, dedication, and vision. Modi ji's government has done remarkable work over the past decade, bringing a vision that continues to inspire confidence in the public. Leaders like these are rare, and they are helping take both the party and the country forward.