In the high-stakes arena of Mumbai's civic polls, a seasoned political warrior has returned to the fray. Vishakha Raut, former mayor and ex-MLA, is contesting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections for a remarkable fifth time. Her battlefield is the symbolic Ward 191, encompassing the iconic Shivaji Park in Dadar – the very heartland of the Shiv Sena.
A Direct Clash of Legacies
This election has distilled into a fierce two-way contest for prestige. Raut, representing the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), is pitted against Priya Sarvankar of the rival Shiv Sena. Priya is the daughter of former MLA Sada Sarvankar, making this a clash of political lineages and loyalties. When asked about fighting her own party's splinter group, Raut responded with a proverb, stating, "All's fair in love and war." She emphasized this is a battle she is determined to win.
Raut's political journey is deeply personal. Campaigning on Tuesday, she reminisced about her first election campaign in 1992, which she undertook while pregnant. "My son was born after I was elected," she shared with a smile. "So, I became an elected representative before I became a mother."
Campaign Trail: Rituals and Reunions
Her campaign day began with a poignant visit to the statue of Meenatai Thackeray, wife of the late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, on her birth anniversary. There, she paid respects alongside party chief Uddhav Thackeray and his wife Rashmi.
The door-to-door canvassing commenced at the aged residential complexes, Matruchhaya and Pitruchhaya. While climbing the four-storey buildings posed a challenge, residents on upper floors welcomed her with traditional offerings of curd and sugar, signifying an auspicious start. The walk revealed deep local connections. At one home, a resident expressed relief over the reunion of Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for these polls. At another, a woman named Bina Churry introduced herself as Raut's cousin, highlighting the candidate's familial roots in the area.
Laxman Bhosale, the local shakha pramukh accompanying her, noted that Ward 191 was unique, as there was unanimous consensus within the Sena (UBT) cadre for Raut's candidature. "Everyone wanted Vishakhatai to contest," he stated. Support from ally MNS was also visible, with their workers joining the campaign trail.
The Teacher Behind the Politician
Beyond her well-known political career, Vishakha Raut carries a lesser-known legacy from her life before politics. In 1982, she was a teacher at Sharadashram Vidyamandir. Notably, two of her students were the future cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli. This facet of her life adds a unique dimension to her profile as a public figure shaped by diverse experiences.
As the morning campaign session wrapped up around 2 PM, Raut's attention to her ground team was evident as she arranged snacks for her supporters. The workers regrouped in the evening to resume their outreach. The campaign in Ward 191 is more than just an election; it's a fight for symbolic supremacy in the emotional and political epicenter of Shiv Sena's history.
