A Congress MLA from Dharavi, Prof Gaikwad is the President of Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC).
"By denying Varsha Gaikwad the ticket for the Mumbai South Central Lok Sabha seat, Congress and Sena (UBT) display their anti-Dalit stance. While Shiv Sena (UBT) is contesting elections from 21 seats in Maharashtra, they have only fielded one Dalit candidate. In contrast, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has declared 8 candidates up to now, among whom 3 are Dalits," said Deora, who earlier this year left the Congress to join Shiv Sena and become a Rajya Sabha member.
Deora said that Sena (UBT) is adopting a hypocritical stance, seeking votes from the Dalit community in the elections but unwilling to provide leadership opportunities to the Dalit community.
"Varsha Gaikwad faced opposition from specific Congress leaders in Mumbai and Delhi due to her caste when she sought the position of Mumbai Congress President. I am aware that Uddhav Thackeray advised Congress against nominating Varsha Gaikwad for the Mumbai South Central Lok Sabha seat because she is a Dalit," he added.
Deora strongly condemned the decision, asserting that "Varsha Gaikwad, who is highly educated, competent, and politically active, has been unfairly victimised.”
Published 19 April 2024, 16:16 IST