Sukanya Shetty Uran, April 23 ADDING a new dimension to the anti-special economic zone (SEZ) campaign, a Raigad activist group has leaped into Lok Sabha elections for the first time and is contesting from one of the 25 seats in Maharashtra that will go to polls in the second phase on Thursday. Lok Rajniti Manch candidate Maruti Bhapkar, an activist and a corporator from Pimpri-Chinchwad is contesting from Maval, perhaps one of the most crucial constituencies that is home to over 35 SEZ proposals and also some of the most lavish townships in the state. Maval, which stretches over 200 km, comprises Panvel, Kaijat, Uran, and Maval. Chinchwad and Pimpri assembly segments deals with varied issues like land acquisitions under SEZ and joblessness due to the economic slowdown. Bhapkar, who gave up wearing shoes as a mark of protest against eviction of slum-dwellers, farmer suicides, peasant struggle and malnutrition deaths in 2003, feels he stands a fair chance over other two strong contenders - NCP's Azam Pansare and the Shiv Sena's Gajanan Babar. "I have been very closely associated with the struggle to rehabilitate the SFZ hit farmers in Raigad and Pune districts. Similarly, as a corporator I have learnt that a lot of money is being spent without proper planning. All this is JNNURM funds, which is being siphoned off. This is people's money that needs to be spent judiciously. Be it workers, farmers, dam-evicted, SEZ hit or civic-conscious citizens, the support for me is wide," said Bhapkar. Lok Rajniti Manch, a people's party backed by stalwarts like Magsaysay award winners Aruna Roy, Arvind Kejriwal, Yogendra Yadav, retired judges Rajinder Sachar and P B Sawant, Swami Agnivesh, actors Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Nilu Phule and Shriram Lagoo had led an agitation for rehabilitation of farmers affected by the Tata and Pavana dams in the region. In all the public rallies, Bhapkar introduces himself as an activist first and then a politician. With no funds, Bhapkar has no inhibitions in asking for funds to back the cause. "I have no money to fund me. From a rupee to even thousands, people fund us every time we appeal for help," adds Bhapkar. However, Sena contender Babar considers a socialist movement cannot bring about a revolution. "Such Anna Hazare-type candidates can only make a noise but cannot create any dent in our vote bank. In order to win in politics one bas to play politics. Bhapkar is a novice with nuisance value," said Babar.