Navi Mumbai: Airoli is one of the Vidhan Sabha constituencies located in Thane district and is a part of Navi Mumbai city. It is number 150 of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. Ganesh Naik (74), served as BJP MLA in 2019 and the party has now nominated him once again. Previously he has served as MLA in the Belapur constituency in 1990 from the Shiv Sena party and in 2004 from NCP. The Airoli constituency has a total of 4.90 lakh voters.
About Ganesh Naik
Ganesh Naik is a name synonymous with Navi Mumbai. He was Thane’s guardian Minister between 2009 and 2014, his younger son Sandeep was the MLA from Airoli, his elder son Sanjeev was the MP from Thane Lok Sabha constituency and his nephew Sagar Naik was the NMMC mayor.
Naik began his political journey with the Shiv Sena in the 1990s. In the early 2000s, Naik shifted his political allegiance from Shiv Sena to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Sharad Pawar. This move marked a significant turning point in his political career, allowing him to expand his influence and access more resources for the development of Navi Mumbai.
While there have been two cases pertaining to cheating in the past, which were registered against him out of political rivalry, a recent case of rape against him by a lady who claimed to be his live-in partner, sent shockwaves among his followers. The high court then quashed the case and the complainant also changed her statement that the case was done as per the instructions of his rivals.
“Not just in tenure, but I have worked for the development of the city for the last three decades. People know me by my work. Prior to 2020, I had been to the headquarters of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation only thrice and after 2020 till now, I have visited the headquarters 85 times and worked as a corporator. During COVID-19 while people were reluctant to see eye to eye even a neighbour, I along with the NMMC Commissioner were on the road. We provided masks, sanitiser, and even food grains to the people. My age-old promises of uninterrupted water supply and no increase in the taxes paid by the residents still remain unbroken,” Naik said.
Activists On Ganesh Naik
Meanwhile, there are activists who claim that Naik has not done up to the mark in his tenure and has not brought out relevant questions before the legislative assembly. “When I studied the questions that Naik had brought before the assembly, I wondered if there were no other important issues that the city faced,” Navi Mumbai-based RTI activist Anarjit Chauhan said.
“Some of the questions that were raised included cancellation of the appointment of CIDCO as the development controller authority for the city, legalisation of some of the structures in Digha, new developmental plan for Digha, relief for Project Affected People of Navi Mumbai,” pointed out Chauhan. He emphasised that all is not well with the water supply in Navi Mumbai.
“The Ilthanpada dam of Digha has been lying idle since it belongs to the railway. In 2010, Ganesh Naik followed up and tried to get 4 MLD water for Navi Mumbai but after that, nothing was done. Now, 18 villages will be added to NMMC and water will have to be supplied to them so the overall water from Morbe will fall short of the residents. Naik should have resumed his efforts to get more water from the Ilthapada dam,” Chauhan said.
The water from the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) is not used as it should be. “Only 16 % of STP water is being used in the city. Commencement Certificate (CC) for all the construction sites is being approved on a daily basis without increasing the source of water to the city,” he added.
City’s Environmental Activist On Ganesh Naik
Meanwhile, the city’s environmental activist claims that Naik had been a very approachable leader. B N Kumar, a long-time resident of Navi Mumbai and an environmental activist, said, “Ganesh Naik is known to be an accessible leader considering that he has grown from the ranks by setting up the Shiv Sena under late Bal Thackeray. Naik knows the art of surviving politically.”
Kumar pointed out that Naik is the original Sena man who dabbled with his own outfits – Shiv Shakti (social organisation) and Bharatiya Vikas Paksh (political platform) – before joining the undivided NCP. Then he joined the BJP. Naik who once headed his family businesses in stone quarrying in Pasik Hills and sand mining at Belapur has turned into an environmental sympathiser.
“Of late, Naik has been quick to respond to citizen’s calls on CRZ violations,” Kumar, who heads environment watchdog NatConnect Foundation, said. For instance, Naik took up the cause of saving a plot near NRI Seawoods which CIDCO auctioned. Naik also visited DPS Flamingo Lake which dried up after CIDCO blocked the tidal water flow. Naik ensured that NMMC restored the water flow to DPS Lake, Kumar recalled.
Naik was also quick to respond to a call to save 200 trees that were grown in an open space at MIDC Pawane. The trees faced the danger of getting chopped as MIDC allotted a 300 mtr piece to a project-affected person. Naik asked MIDC to allot another plot for the PAP and spare the trees, Kumar who took up the issue with the BJP MLA, explained. “Not only that, Naik also tells his sons Sanjeev and Sandeep to be mindful of the environment,” Kumar said and wondered if the leader is a changed person after the demolition of Glass House built in CRZ at Belapur following an adverse High Court order. Glass House, though was built by Naik nephew, the leader was using it as his office and hence he could not escape the Court’s ire after activist Sandeep Thakur moved the writ petition.
Kumar, however, regretted that neither the Naiks nor any of the candidates are talking anything about the environment. The contest is zeroed down to just personal allegations and counters, he said.
RTI Activist Rajiv Mishra has claimed that Naik has he has failed in solving the real estate and land issues of the city while he has managed to work on a local level for the citizens. “Regularisation policy for illegal structures, land freehold issue of CIDCO, redevelopment, and slum rehabilitation are the issues wherein Naik has not found any solution,” Mishra said. He further added that Naik has always successfully found solutions to water, road, and drainage issues. He further said that even after being with BJP, he has never sought votes under the name of Hindutva and he is still known for being unbiased.
Even as there was Hindu Jan Akrosh Morcha in Vashi in 2023 that spread hate speech against the Muslims, Naik says that no wrong will be done to any community that functions as per the limitations of the law. “Navi Mumbai is beyond any race, religion, or case, and am always available for anyone who faces any issues. The morcha happened and it’s not done and dusted but as long as am there the Muslim community will not be targeted here as it has been happening in other countries,” Naik said.
Once in power, Naik said that the GR for the freehold of the land from CIDCO would be passed at the soonest and he would make sure that the state government will not charge more than 15% of the reserve price of the land.
Key Concerns
1 . Illegal construction from Koparkhairane to Airoli and Digha nodes
2. Free Hold of land from Cidco
3. Redevelopment of Cidco buildings
4. Making alternate water supply arrangements for future need
5. Government run multispecialty hospital in Airoli node
6. Slum rehabilitation
