BJP MLA Ganesh Naik's performance a mixed bag

While some praise him for not whipping up communal sentiments, others say he failed to address issues like slum rehab

- Raina Assainar

With 4.9 lakh voters, Airoli assembly seat number 150, a part of Navi Mumbai which comes in Thane district, is currently represented by BJP MLA Ganesh Naik. The party has again fielded the 74-year-old, who has been a two-term Belapur legislator; first in 1990 when he was with Shiv Sena and then in 2004 when he had switched to the NCP. Others in the fray include Sena (UBT) MK Madhvi, Shinde Sena rebel Vijay Choughule and Ankush Kadam from the Swarajya party.

Other family members of Naik, who was also the Thane guardian Minister from 2009 to 2014, have also held key constitutional posts. His sons, Sanjeev and Sandeep, and nephew Sagar Naik have served as MP (Thane Lok Sabha), MLA (Airoli) and mayor, respectively. Naik began his political journey with Sena in the 1990s and switched his allegiance to the NCP in the early 2000s.

The veteran leader is not new to controversies, with the latest being a rape offence filed against him. However, the Bombay High Court later quashed the case and even the woman retracted her statement, saying she tried to implicate him at the behest of his rivals. In the past, two cheating cases have also been registered against him out of "political rivalry".