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The letters states D’souza is pitching the constituency’s Christian community against the Congress and adds that D’souza was doing it to spite the Congress as the party ticket he was seeking had gone to Aslam Sheikh. Fernandes has stated that by dividing the 12,000-strong Christian votes in Malad West, D’souza will only benefit “non-secular” parties like the MNS, Shiv Sena and BJP.
Malad West, one of the six Assembly segments of Mumbai North Lok Sabha constituency, has a total electorate of 2.68 lakh of which Christians form about 4% or about 12,000 voters.
“Dolphy, being denied the ticket, is cleverly playing the communal card that Christians are not being helped by secular political parties...,” states Fernandes in the letter.
“There’s no doubt that Dolphy will lose his deposit. But each one who votes for him will be weakening secular parties and strengthening communal ones,” he adds.
Despite repeated attempts, D’souza could not be reached for his comment.
There are around 15 candidates in Malad West including a woman, Neela Desai of the MNS. Traditionally a Sena stronghold, Congress’s Aslam Sheikh is said to be strongly placed in the constituency.
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Just like anyone else in India, Christians also share the responsibility of giving this country a good governing structure. Asking people to vote for their own community candidates and lingustic candidates only weakens the governing structure. It would enable the majority to make any rules that would help it promote its own self-interest.