‘Ready to Come Anywhere for Debate’: BJP’s Mumbai North East Pick Challenges Opponent

BJP Mumbai North East’s Lok Sabha candidate Mihir Kotecha has hit out at his opponent Sanjay Dina Patel of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction) for disrespecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he was “blabbering as he sees his defeat” in the 2024 Lok Sabha Election.

“First of all, I want to say that the day I get elected, I will continue to try and change the name of Mankhurd to Shivaji Nagar. Similarly, with the blessings of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, all the black businesses of Zakir Naik’s descendants — be it drugs, gutkha or matka — will be closed, and true governance will be brought,” he said. Mankhurd area in Kotecha’s constituency has a large slum belt that houses migrants and the working class of the city.

Ridiculing Patil for his absence during a debate organised for Lok Sabha candidates to present their ideas for the development of Mumbai, the BJP leader said: “In the Mumbai debate organised by the Press Club, we wanted to present our ideas about the city of Mumbai. As far as I know, the organisers made 15 phone calls, but Patil ran away and did not answer a single one.”

Kotecha challenged Patil and said he was ready to come to any place and discuss one-on-one in public about his ideas regarding Mumbai’s development. “I am sure you will accept my challenge and clear the charge of evasion against you,” he said to Patil.

Last month, Kotecha’s campaign vehicle was vandalised by unknown people. Kotecha, an MLA from the Mulund constituency, is now contesting the Lok Sabha election from Mumbai North East. He started campaigning for the Lok Sabha immediately after his ticket was declared by the party high command. An interesting fight is expected in the constituency, which has remained a bastion for BJP for the last two Lok Sabha polls.

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