This election, although his third from Kalyan constituency, is different for incumbent MP vai de bet:Shrikant Shinde. For, thi𒁃s time, Shinde will fight as the son of the president of the Shiv Sena and Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde.

Earlier, Shinde faced the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party alliance as an opponent, but this time, he will face Vaishali Darekar of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), the other faction of the party post the split. Kalyan will vote in the fifth phase on May 20.

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The constituency has always been a stronghold of the Shiv Sena. Shinde is confident of his win in this election too, as he believes that the people of his constituency are happy with the development work over the past 10 years. “June 4 will reveal the exact scenario and where the people of Kalyan-Dombivali stand. People of Maharashtra are not pleased with the language used against us. We are focusing on work, while others are resorting to abusive🙈 language, bringing down the standard of politics. I believe the Opposition can sense their defeat, hence they are making loose comments about us. Those who are criticising us have already lost this election battle. I see it as their last-minute desperation. I will be among the top five candidates with the highest win margin in the Lok Sabha ele♚ctions.”

Shinde spoke to News18 exclusively on a range of issues, including his vision for the constituency and the political issues the Opposition is raising against the current state government.

SUPPORT FOR EKNATH SHINDE

Shinde feels people across the state are in favour of CM Shinde and his agenda of development. “Seeing the CM complete infrastructure projects across Maharashtra, people of Kalyan-Dombivali have high hopes and expectations from me. The MIDC, where we are standing today, was infamous for its roads, but now, after investing Rs 100 crore, people can see the difference. There is pressure as my father is the CM and I am an MP. Hence, they expect to get maximum funds for development. We strive to meet their expectations,” said Shinde.

MEDICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

During Covid waves, the medical vai de bet:infrastructure of Kalyan-Dombivli gave in, forcing people to rush to either Thane, Navi Mumbai or Mumbai. When asked about the current status of medical infrastructure in Kalyan-Dombivli, Shinde replied, “We have learnt a lot from COVID. The medical infrastructure that one saw during Covid has totally changed now. We have set up a 200-bed hospital in Ulhasnagar, which is operated without a cash counter. It’s a corporation-run superspecialty hospital where all minor to major surgeries happen. We have al🌌so started a cardiology and urology centre in Kalwa. People with yellow and orange ration cards can receive free treatment there. We are planning to establish a cashless hospital♚ in each town in my constituency, so that people don’t have to rush to Thane or Mumbai for treatment. In Dombivli, we are constructing a cancer hospital, eliminating the need for people to go to Mumbai’s Tata hospital. Within the next two years, it will be ready. In slums, we have started ‘Aapla Dawakhana’ where people can get free treatment.”

KALYAN-DOMBIVLI DEVELOPMENT

Kalyan-Dombivli is the hub of the middle class, with people migrating due to the proximity to Mumbai and low property rates. This has made this constituency one of the most densely populated, which creates issues such as traffic, infrastructure and sanitation. Shinde said he has started work on these issues five-six years ago. “Kalyan-Dombivli is one of the most densely populated constituencies in Maharashtra. Many people reside in a small area here. Every day, they commute to Mumbai and Navi Mumbai for work. Traffic and pollution are increasing every day. Hence, we first aimed to solve the commuting problem and focused on the local railways. For many years, the state government used to mention plans for the fifth and sixth railway lines, but we actually delivered, resulting in increased train services. We developed new railway stations, undertook road widening projects, and found and developed alternative roads, which people are now using for smooth vehicular movement,” he said.“Katai (Dombivli) Airoli is our game-changer project. Currently, the travel time on this road journey is one hour, but after the completion of this project, the travel time will reduce to 40 minutes, allowing people to travel between Katai (Dombivali) and Airoli easily. We have extended the Metro line to Dombivli and Kalyan. We are also focusing on water transport, with ongoing work on jetties in Thane, Kalyan, Bhiwandi and Vasai. Through waterways, we will connect all these towns to Mumbai. This project will be undertaken under the PPP scheme,” said Shinde.

THE PRIORITIES

When asked about his priorities for the constituency, Shinde said, “Our priority is to elevate the Kalyan Shil Phata road along with the Metro line. Additionally, we will have an access control road in this constituency, further connecting to Bhiwandi and then the Nashik Highway. We are also working on a road project that will connect the Nashik highway to the Navi Mumbai airport. In the future, people of Kalyan-Dombivli won’t face any traffic issues. A third Mumbai, which people are talking about, will be established between Navi Mumbai and Kalyan. The population is increasing in my constituency, with people from across the country coming here to stay. In such a scenario, there is a chance of a water crisis in this constituency. To avoid such a situation, the Maharashtra CM has come up with a plan to have a separate dam for this constituency, and has asked the MMRDA to work on this project.”

FOR YOUTHS

Shinde, being a youth leader, has set an agenda for youngsters. Considering the presence of three MIDCs in his constituency, Shinde plans to set up a growth centre. This centre will not only serve as a training center for youth, but also nurture them to start their own startups and help industries acquire skilled manpower, he said.

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“We have Dombivali, Ambernath and Pali MIDCs in my constituency, which are generating jobs for the youth. When I first became an MP, we brought the ‘Rail Neer’ water plant to Ambernath, which generated jobs for the youth. We are initiating projects in 27 villages called growth centres. Under these growth centres, we will bring IT companies, and also intend to create a ‘Maharashtra Hub,’ where everything will be available under one roof. We have seen that there is no shortage of talent in Maharashtra, but we lack the infrastructure to nurture it. The growth centres under Maha Hub will help startups get initial support to take off, for which we have already sanctioned Rs 500 crore. We have identified 25 acres for this project. With the help of Tata, we will be setting up a skill development centre in my constituency where youth will be trained as per the requirements of industries in Kalyan-Dombivali MIDC, ensuring employment opportunities for the youth here.”