20 lawyers try their luck in assembly polls from Mumbai

Over 20 practising lawyers are in the run-up for the upcoming Maharashtra state assembly elections from the city's 36 constituencies.

"Pre- Independence, lawyers across the country quit their comfortable profession to fight for Independence. This is the only profession which deals with our Constitution from close quarters and hence advocates should be expected to work towards preserving the essence of Democracy," advocate Shakil Ahmed said.
    
Ahmed, a social activist who has been fighting a legal battle against police excesses and non-implementation of several fact-finding commissions, is contesting from the suburban Sion-Koliwada constituency in the assembly elections.
    
While some of these lawyers claim to have stumbled upon politics by chance, few lawyers recall on how they accepted cases of only those politicians, who matched their ideology.
    
"This is my first stint in politics. But my affiliation with the Shiv Sena-BJP goes way back. I have been taking care of all the cases registered against Gopinath Munde and Bal Thackeray," advocate Deenanath Tiwari, a BJP candidate from the Kalina constituency said.

Tiwari, who is known as the in-house lawyer for the political party, feels that his dedication towards the party over the years has won him the ticket in the elections.

Tiwari is pitched against sitting MLA and strong contender Kripashanker Singh from the Congress.
    
Another criminal lawyer, who specialises in Narcotics cases, Rizwan Merchant has also flung in to the fray as a candidate for the Samajwadi Party (SP).

Merchant, who helped Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt validate his marriage with wife Manyata, will be contesting against the actor's associate Baba Siddique from the suburban Bandra constituency.
    
"Samajwadi Party has brought me in close contact with the real issues. Now irrespective of whether I win or not in the elections, I will try to handle corruption related cases that the slum rehabilitation project is mired in," Merchant said.

The other advocates contesting in the elections include advocate Ashish Shelar, Archit Jayakar and V D More.
    
Shelar, a staunch BJP supporter is considered as a close confidante of slain BJP leader Pramod Mahajan and is contesting from Bandra against Merchant.

Jayakar, son of actress Smita Jayakar and senior advocate Mohan Jayakar is contesting from Malabar Hill in south Mumbai for the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

More, who is assisting the legal aide team of advocates Abbas Kazmi and K P Pawar defending Pakistani gunman Mohammad Ajmal Kasab, is contesting from his home town Satara as an independent candidate.