Change in candidature not to affect BJP
| Date :03-Oct-2019 |
By Vikas Vaidya :
Though, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made a change in its candidate in South Nagpur State Assembly Constituency for the Maharashtra polls to be held on October 21, the party will be able to retain the seat, Mohan Mate has replaced the sitting MLA Sudhakar Kohale, the only change that was made by BJP in Nagpur urban area. The BJP has brought Mohan Mate, who had won the election in South Nagpur in 1999, back. He has replaced Sudhakar Kohale. Kohale, then a corporator had won the election in 2014 and became MLA. Whatever developmental works done during his tenure will help Mate to win the elections. Mate is a known name in the households of South Nagpur and he did not lose his touch from the constituency.
Mate was continuously in news as far as South Nagpur constituency is concerned. He had contested election from this constituency in 2004 too when Govindrao Wanjari of Congress defeated him. In 2009 there was an alliance between BJP and Shiv Sena. As per the agreement, this seat was given to Shiv Sena that had fielded Kishor Kumeria. Mate contested election as an Independent and mustered good number of votes. He kept himself away from limelight but continued doing good work in the constituency.
In last election too though BJP had chosen Kohale, Mate succeeded in let people feeling his presence. During the recent Lok Sabha election where people voted for Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Mate did hard work that resulted in Gadkari getting good percentage of votes. He took the work of BJP membership drive very seriously and South Nagpur again experienced his presence. In last five years his office was equally flooded with people approaching him with the difficulties being faced by them and Mate used to resolve them. Mate has one more advantage of lack of unity in opposition.
Neither Congress, nor Nationalist Congress Party members are unite to pose tough challenge before Mate. Before Girish Pandav, three congressmen were trying hard to get the ticket namely Vishal Muttemwar, son of seven time MP Vilas Muttemwar, Atul Londhe who was banking on the support of Manikrao Thakre and Pramod Manmode, an industrialist who owns Nirmal Ujwal Cooperative Bank had a support of Vijay Wadettiwar, Leader of Opposition in State Assembly. Surprisingly, the second list that Congress declared on Tuesday Pandav’s name was figured. The sources disclosed that Vishal Muttemwar had already expressed his unwillingness to party leaders. Sources also said that the survey that was done by senior Muttemwar yield bad result for Congress because of several factors.
Manmode had tried from Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) both. Last month he had met Jayant Patil, NCP State President too but the party did not try much to get this seat in its quota. Of course, that will not stop Raju Nagulwar, ex-Corporator of NCP from contesting elections as an Independent. He is at present with NCP. With no hope in sight either from Congress or NCP, Manmode had started his ‘Ekla Chalo Re’ campaign. Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi candidate will pose a challenge before BJP. The party had not declared its candidate yet, but Sagar Dabrase, its head of the region told ‘The Hitavada’, the party would field strong candidate from South Nagpur. Bahujan Samaj Party too had taken good number of votes from this constituency. The only plus point for Pandav is his clean image. He is known as educationist and was trying hard to get the ticket. Pandav runs several institutions in South Nagpur and he would bank on his image.