My performance will ensure my smooth sailing: Bawankule
   Date :03-Dec-2021

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By Kartik Lokhande :
 
His day starts early in the morning, with some phone calls and visitors. Gradually, as the day progresses, the number of visitors increases. His office starts functioning in full steam. He then moves out, to meet not only his party workers, but also others. The tour extends well through the evening into the night. Late in the night, his day ends with phone calls and taking stock of the situation. This, is the day for Chandrashekhar Bawankule, former Guardian Minister of district and now Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections from Nagpur Local Authorities’ Constituency. When ‘The Hitavada’ caught up with him in his hectic schedule, he expressed confidence that he would win the election.
 
“My performance so far will ensure my smooth sailing in the election,” he said. Asked about his rival candidates, Bawankule said that he would not comment on that. “Instead of speaking about others, I am focussing on individually meeting as many as 559 voters. Every person I have met so far received me warmly. So, I am confident of winning the election with a big margin,” he said. However, he did not reveal as to how many votes he was expecting to poll. Despite his good performance as Guardian Minister, he was dropped during the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections in 2019. However, not taking it as a setback, he continued working to strengthen party organisation. BJP later appointed him as General Secretary of Maharashtra unit of the party. In that capacity, he extensively toured various parts of the State and especially Vidarbha. Also, he ensured aid for needy during COVID-19 pandemic as part of party’s initiative. Further, he led various agitations. Regarding the ‘gap’ since 2019 elections, Bawankule said that he did not consider this period as ‘gap’. For, he explained, though he was not MLA, he devoted his time and energy to strengthen BJP and raise the issues concerning the people through various agitations.
 
“I have never lost touch with the people, the party organisation, and the party workers on ground,” he said. “Maha Vikas Aghadi Government in Maharashtra has neglected Nagpur. Funds flow stands adversely affected, no new development project has come, and the State’s failure is visible on various fronts in the past two years. This performance is dismal. Compared to this, BJP-led Government had placed development on top on its agenda,” said Bawankule. According to him, the elected representatives of different parties in Local Authorities’ Constituency were aware of this. Bawankule was Energy Minister during the erstwhile BJP-led Government in Maharashtra and was Guardian Minister of Nagpur district. According to him, during the previous Government led by BJP, funds flow was very good to Nagpur district and various developmental projects were taken up. That work, and good relations with elected representatives of local authorities across the party barriers, will have its positive impact in the MLC election, he felt.