On Campaign Trail: BJP's Ameet Satam promises pakka houses for Gilbert Hill slum dwellers

With less than 24 hours before Maharashtra goes for polling, local candidate Ameet Satam is on the last leg of campaigning at Gilbert Hill which has a huge slum.

The incumbent MLA for Andheri West constituency, Ameet Satam made the decision to join politics in 2000 and started working full-time with the Bharatiya Janata Party in the year 2004. "People usually join politics to do good for people, I was the same," he said as he went on foot from door to door, asking people for their votes. His day had started early with a meeting of the Senior Citizens' Association of Lallubhai park where he addressed problems of citizens from

A party worker who was a part of his local entourage kept sloganeering on the speaker when he was confronted by a woman who said that he had only visited them for the first time and not done much. To this, he said, " Now listen to me, for the last five years, I didn't come here, did you call me?" He then confirmed the ward number to which he added, " This ward previously had the same leader for the last 20 years. You should ask them what they have done." He then went on to navigate the bylanes which would take him up and down the hill.

On his way, the residents of the slum stood outside their doors to greet him, they were handed flyers on the go by party workers who asked them to press number one and vote for the lotus symbol. Some people followed him wherever he went navigating carefully through the slippery roads and the small craters on the road.

" The biggest challenge," Satam says," Is to help the residents of this slum get a pukka house. The slum rehabilitation authority has not managed to reach its target yet. There are a lot of problems that come over there sometimes, the builders that are selected are just not worthy. I want to work towards clearing the legal hassles and expediting the process."

Farzana* who was at the campaign when asked about what she thought said, "I don't know who I will vote for. My brother has made me wait here, we used to vote for congress most of the time but, this time let's see."

Later, while addressing shop owners at NADCO, he told how he improved the area around Andheri station and reduced the hawkers. Satam was clear that going forward he would like to focus on skill development for youth, making an entertainment center at Versova beach, cleaner environment among others.

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