Godrej, Parekh, Kotak Support Murli Deora in South Mumbai

Some top business leaders and trade associations today came out in support of the Union Minister of State for Telecom and sitting MP from Mumbai South, Milind Deora, who is seeking a third term from the constituency.

Chairman of the Godrej group Adi Godrej, HDFC chairman Deepak Parekh and Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Kotak Mahindra Bank, Uday Kotak issued a joint statement here extending support to Deora's candidature.

"His parliamentary and ministerial performance is good and we have been witness to his integrity, hard work and dedication to his profession. We support his candidature from South Mumbai as an individual," the statement said.

Deora, in turn, called Godrej, Parekh and Kotak his "role models and mentors" and said he hoped to "continue to live up to the expectations of the business community as a South Mumbai representative".

Vice-President of the Indian Bullion and Jewellery Association Prithviraj Kothari, President of Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association Viren Shah, Honorary Secretary of Metal and Steel Merchants' Association Jethmal S Bothra, president of Bharat Diamond Bourse Anoop Bhai Mehta, Diamond Bourse Association president Bharat Shah and Surender Sawai, president of Mumbai Textile Trader Association also pledged support to Deora on behalf of their organisations.

The National Spot Exchange Investors Forum representing some 13,000 investors who collectively lost close to Rs 5,500 crore of their investment in the spot exchange crisis have also expressed support for Milind Deora, said Sharad Kumar Saraf, the forum's chairman.