While, Mahayuti constituents, show proper co-ordination for the local body polls, the Maha Vikas Aaghadi (MVA) is finding it difficult to plan its poll strategy. It was noticed by the group that, at local level, with an aim to register victory, the local leaders were trying to join hands with Mahayuti constituents. Its senior leaders have warned the local volunteers not to do so. Meanwhile, no candidate has filed nomination for Nagar Panchayat and Municipal Council polls. Monday was the first day, while November 17 is the last day. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde have already made it clear that the Mahayuti will stick to the policy of convenient alliance.

 

The co-ordination is absent in MVA and importantly, within Congress too. Congress is facing factionalism at all levels. It came to the fore when one group led by Sunil Kedar convened a meeting to take interviews of party aspirants without the knowledge of party’s State In-charge Ramesh Chennithala and district observer Virendra Jagtap. According to one Congress leader, at local level, some leaders are trying to get in touch with the Mahayuti constituents.

 

Today, Vijay Wadettiwar warned all such elements and asked them not to take such a step. But Congress did not take steps to bring all the constituents together. Meanwhile, NCP (Sharad Pawar) alleged that despite being major party in this part of the State, Congress was not taking any responsibility to bring all constituents together. Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray’s MNS have no presence in Vidarbha so their volunteers are sitting idle. It is being predicted by highly placed sources that Election Commission may announce Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti elections in next 3-4 days. If MVA continues to idle away its time without addressing these significant issues, it is likely to face setback in the local body polls, said the sources. As far as Nagpur district is considered, in Nagpur city, Maha Vikas Aaghadi has quite a good co-ordination. Vikas Thakre of Congress, Duneshwar Pethe of NCP and Kishor Kumeria from Sena are in constant touch. That co-ordination is not visible in district unit. 

 

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) (Ajit Pawar) has constituted a committee for the upcoming municipal corporation polls. The proposal was prepared by ex-MLA and Nagpur city Observer Rajendra Jain and sent to the High Command. MLC and party’s Organising Secretary Sanjay Khodke has approved the proposal. The committee includes Rajendra Jain, Party’s City President Anil Ahirkar, Working President Shrikant Shivankar, Prashant Pawar, Abha Pande, Bajrangsingh Parihar, Tanaji Wanve, Dilip Pankule, Vishal Khandekar, Sunita Yerne, Javed Habib. Anil Ahirkar thanked Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and Rajendra Jain for constituting the committee. According to Ahirkar, this will help in steering the party in the upcoming elections. 

 

 

NCP State President Sunil Tatkare has appointed 17 spokespersons of the party and Prashant Pawar has been included in the list. Pawar is the only one from Nagpur who has been made spokesperson.

 

 

Alleging that Sharad Pawar did not support Congress in the past, former Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Nana Patole told ‘The Hitavada’, “A leader like Pawar is an asset to our alliance. Surprisingly, he is not taking any step. During my tenure as MPCC President, he did not help me. Now also, when MVA is facing a crisis, Pawar is keeping mum. This is the time when he should take baton in his hand. It is not happening.” On the issue of Parth Pawar’s alleged scam, Patole said, “This issue is one, but there are several such ones throughout Mumbai, which the Government should dig out and take action.”