Hindutva its main agenda, HRS takes ‘Independent’ route to enter poll fray

In her pamphlet, Rupali blames the government for action against Desai “just because he takes a clear and non-compromising stand on Hindutva issues”. She is telling the voters that she would not promise anything like new constructions and repairs of roads or providing food to the poor. “Road construction, drainage lines are works done by the municipal corporation,” the pamphlet reads.

Instead, Rupali promises that if she wins she will become a member of “Goraksha Samiti” and shut 800 illegal slaughterhouses in the state within a year. “I will place a legislation for implementation of common civil code in Maharashtra like it exists in Goa. I will put pressure on the government for proper investigation into the Azad Maidan riots. I will place a legislation for using money collected in temple only for the benefit of Hindus,” says the pamphlet.

“I will fight against the allotment of land to the so-called education tycoons. The land would be taken back and used for developing genuine educational institutes for common people… I ensure that expert medical professionals are involved in providing free and low-cost medicines to the poor,” it adds.

Talking to The Indian Express, Rupali said: “We would strongly raise the issues benefiting Hindus. There is no point in making promises and then doing nothing about it. We thus promise what we can do for the Hindus.”

HRS is a registered political party, though it never contested an election before and has remained more in news for involvement in communally sensitive issues. This time, however, it wanted to contest the state elections from the same Hadapsar constituency where Mohsin Shaikh was murdered. As Desai is in jail, the party announced the name of his wife Rasika Desai as its candidate for the seat during a press conference in Pune. Rasika filed her nominations but her candidature got rejected. HRS campaign in-charge Sagar Sonawane said her name did not appear in the voter list, which was why the necessary documents required for her candidature could not be submitted.

HRS had declared that it would contest elections from about 30 more constituencies in Pune, Ahmednagar, Jalgaon, Sambhaji Nagar, Kolhapur, Thane and Mumbai, and wanted shankha (sea shell) as the election symbol. But things did not work out well for the party as it only managed to field some of its activists as Independent candidates “supported by HRS”.

Vile Parle, which the “headquarter” of HRS, remains an important seat where the party hopes to make its presence felt. Rupali is contesting from there as “an Independent candidate supported by HRS” on the symbol of coconut. The party has also fielded “Independent” candidates from Ghatkopar, Vhandup, Chandivali and Goregaon.

Digambar Gentyal, HRS president for Ahmednagar district, said: “We could not field anyone from Ahmednagar. I am not aware of the situation in other districts.”