Mumbai's Unlikely Giant-Killers: A Former Top Cop and a Trade Union Leader

Mumbai: When Shiv Sena leader Arvind Sawant made his debut as a candidate in Lok Sabha elections at the age of 62, few considered him a formidable contender.

"People used to call me a weak candidate. They said, 'how did Sena give you a ticket?' And I used to tell them, 'I am the dark horse in this derby and I am going to win'," he recalls.

Not only did Mr Sawant win from the high-profile South Mumbai constituency, he also managed to beat two-time Member of Parliament Milind Deora by a margin of over one lakh votes.

In the recently held parliamentary polls, the ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party coalition has been wiped out by the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance, which won all six Lok Sabha seats in the metropolis.

As a trade union leader, Mr Sawant remembers the many times he had stood outside Parliament, waiting for a recommendation from a minister or a party MP merely to gain entry inside.

"Now, I am going to be in Parliament myself," he says proudly.

Another debutant candidate-turned-giant-slayer from Mumbai is Dr Satyapal Singh, who gave up the post of Mumbai's police commissioner to contest the polls as a BJP candidate.

He surprised many when he chose to contest from Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh, a stronghold of Ajit Singh's Rashtriya Lok Dal, instead of Mumbai.

He sprung another surprise on counting day -- May 16 -- when he defeated Mr Singh on his own turf.

The former top cop's transition from khaki (the uniform worn by policemen) to khadi (the traditional attire associated with politicians) has been a smooth one so far.

"I think khadi didn't understand the importance of khaki. The law and order of the country is very important. Earlier, my jurisdiction was limited, as a Parliamentarian it has increased," he says as he proudly shows us his Member of Parliament access card.

Though they have fought -- and won -- against heavyweights in their debut elections -- both Mr Sawant and Dr Singh are aware of the fact that the expectations from them are bound to be as high as, if not more than, their victory margins.