Netas make generous offerings to mandals

MUMBAI: With the crucial BMC elections barely five months away, Mumbai’s netas have loosened their pursestrings for the nearly 20,000 Ganpati mandals in the city.
Largely seen as the nucleus of city politics, the Ganpati mandals attract considerable largesse from politicians of every hue, more so during the poll year. Pitted against star players such as the Lalbaugcha Raja or the GSB mandal, which generate their own economy, small-time mandals need funds to keep them going.A proper receipt is furnished against donations.
"A potential poll candidate is only too eager to offer donations to the mandals," said Pandurang Sakpal, who heads the Shiv Sena’s south Mumbai organizational unit, on Wednesday.
The ongoing donation rate for south Mumbai is upwards of Rs 8,000. "And, in Khetwadi alone, there are 12
gallis (bylanes), while Kumbharwada has some 14 gallis. There are around 1,200 Ganesha mandals in my district,’’ said Sakpal.
However, in faraway suburbs, Rs 5,000 is considered a decent amount. With an eye on the 2012 elections, a Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) functionary in suburban Mumbai has spent Rs 45,000 to placate the 12 mandals in his ward. "Each mandal in my ward has a band of 100-200 activists. If I don’t pay them, the mandal will blacklist me. I can’t afford to lose 200 votes," said the MNS functionary.
Elaborating further, senior BJP leader Vinod Tawde said, "A Ganpati mandal can’t influence voters. However, it conducts a sort of elimination round. A candidate who hasn’t added to the mandal’s kitty is dropped like a hot potato. Mind you, 200 votes can tilt the scales in a municipal election."
Nitin Sardesai, MNS MLA from Dadar, said, "Donations to Ganpati mandals help build a good rapport with local residents. Nothing beyond that." He added that heavy commercialization of festivals has brought politicians into the arena.
Ajit Sawant, senior Mumbai Congress functionary, said the lure for money in Ganeshotsav increased considerably in the 1990s when corporators came to be seen as making a fast buck in the cash-rich BMC.
"Add to this, the herd mentality of mandals," said Sardesai, ‘if one opts for a DJ or a heavy-duty orchestra, the neighbouring group follows suit. The budget thus spirals out of control."
At the other end of the spectrum is the iconic Keshavji Naik Chawl in Girgaum, which hosts the 119-year old Ganeshotsav with no monetary help from politicians. "Our collection, mainly from subscription from our residents, is modest. Our expenditure is modest too," said Vikas Paranjpe, "politicians dare not offer us money".