With just three days left for the voting day in the city for Lok Sabha polls, it's not only Lok Sabha candidates but also corporators are working overtime.
Reason, many corporators are expecting tickets in the state Assembly polls scheduled in mid Octorber this year, and now they will have to prove their strength in Lok Sabha elections by ensuring their party candidate gets maximum votes.
"It's a kind of rehearsal for those corporators who are keen to contest state polls. Corporators will have to prove themselves by ensuring that their candidate gets massive votes in their area. This will help us (corporators) to bargain for Assembly tickets," said Congress corporator R B Choube, who is keen to contest Assembly polls if his party gives him ticket.
"But now our entire focus is to ensure our candidate wins," said Choube, who is campaigning for Sanjay Nirupam in North Mumbai constituency.
BJP's corporator Yogesh Sagar, who is also the party North Mumbai unit president, says corporators play crucial role in every elections, whether it is Lok Sabha or Assembly polls.
Sagar is among the corporators who is eyeing the Assembly ticket. "It is true that local corporators are the ones who ensure crowd gather during rallies."
The corporators keep in touch with the locals everyday. Hence during elections, responsibities on corporators increase and they will have to prove themselves," he said.
"If the party gives me Assembly ticket, I will surely contest. I am giving my best to ensure our North Mumbai Lok Sabha candidate Ram Naik wins the elections," he said.
Corporators have been roped in by all the mainstream political parties Congress, NCP, BJP and Shiv Sena with specific tasks to strengthen local networking with the masses.
Like Sagar, civic body's four-time Standing Committe Chairman Ravindra Waikar of Shiv Sena is also eager to fight Assembly polls. Expressing his willingness to contest Assembly elections, Waikar said that now his priority was Lok Sabha polls and it was up to the party to give him ticket or not.
"We, including senior leaders and local workers, are working together to ensure our candidate Gajan+added.
At a time when the state leadership is busy with rallies for the Lok Sabha polls, the corporators take a lead in bridging the gap between people and organisation.