Dear Friends,

It has been my proud privilege to be your representative in the Maharashtra State Legislative Assembly. Whilst in office, I have attempted to be your voice and attend to your grievances to the best of my ability. The task of an MLA begins with addressing your immediate problems and carries on to matters that affect the entire state of Maharashtra and all the people therein.

A responsibility such as this one requires an entire team of committed and progressive people, available and accessible at all times, prepared and geared up to act with immediate effect. I have been fortunate to be part of such a team, thanks to the good judgment of the people of the Bandra Assembly. This team, with hon. Member of Parliament, Ms Priya Dutt, my fortunate self as MLA, and a well-oiled machinery of dedicated councilors have developed into a formidable force as your representatives and voice.

The Bandra Assembly, consisting of Bandra West, Khar and Santacruz is one of the most sort-after residential areas in the city. Every year more and more of this grand old suburb gives way to modern buildings and residential complexes. As these numbers escalate, so does the strain on our existing infrastructure.

My vision will have to include the vital planning, development, recycling and replacement of existing infrastructure, so that you do not feel the burden of this development. This is best done with the help and suggestion of the community. And important part of my task will be to open up and maintain existing channels of discussion with the citizens of the constituency.

With space, or rather, lack of it, becoming a growing concern, it is my constant endeavor to maintain and develop the open spaces in our area into green zones. This again, can only be achieved with the constant guidance and vigilance of the immediate community.

A vital area that we must tackle is the growing traffic situation in Bandra, Khar Santacruz region. I intend setting up a core committee made up of key influencers in the area and develop an efficient plan to regulate traffic. This will be done in conjunction with the traffic department, heads of resident associations and experts in the field of commuter traffic regulation.

Further amenities new roads, drainage projects, water supply and high value projects such as the skywalks with escalators, the metro rail project, etc. are either in an advance stage of development or strongly in the pipeline. All this work takes a lot of planning, constant follow up and funding to see the light of day. It helps immensely when we have a strong cohesive unit made up of local area representation, state level persuasion and national level pressure, like we have in the Bandra Assembly to bring plans and recommendations to fruition.

My dear friends, I have always maintained that I am answerable to you since it is you who decides who your representation should be. In keeping with the ideologies of the Congress I party, a peaceful and secular atmosphere, in which we all can flourish together in a cosmopolitan environment, has always been maintained in our community. You have wisely brought to New Delhi a wholesome and unified government with a true majority. The time has come to do the same for your state, your community and your home.

Together we can, together we will. I stand committed in maintaining a long and healthy relationship with you. I pray that together we will build and maintain a beautiful suburb for our children.

Please do exercise your right to choose your representation in these upcoming elections. The choice you make will not only affect you, but your entire neighborhood. I ask you to choose secularism, communal harmony, commitment, progress and peace above all else.

Jai Hind.