On the eve of last day of filing nominations for Nagar Panchayat and Municipal Council polls, Nagpur district is witnessing hopping of leaders to other parties. Revenue Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party’s Maharashra’s Election Head for local body polls Chandrashekhar Bawankule gave a major jolt to Congress. Senior leader of Congress, prominent name in Mauda Prasanna alias Raja Tidke joined BJP. Similarly, in Kamptee, current Municipal Council President Shahajahan Ansari of Congress chose to show confidence in the leadership of Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar), a constituent of Mahayuti.

 

In Ramtek, Maha Vikas Aaghadi received setback as Congress City President Damodar Dhopte too resigned. Congress suffered a major setback in Nagpur rural in the entry of Raja Tidke into BJP fold. According to reliable sources, chaos is being experienced within the party due to non-fulfillment of demands of its leaders. Raja Tidke, who has been running the Congress show in Mauda, had demanded ticket of President of Mauda Nagar Panchayat. He was denied the candidature so he joined BJP. He is contesting for President of Mauda Nagar Panchayat on BJP ticket. Raja Tidke is the son of former prominent Congress leader Baburao Tidke.

 

 

In Kamptee also, resentment is brewing. The Congress leadership said ‘no’ to its present President of Kamptee Municipal Council Shahajahan Shafat Ansari for contesting Kamptee President poll and promised same to Asif Sarmatiya, nephew of Shakur Nagani. Nagani is a big name in Kamptee, who has strengthened the party there. Shahajahan preferred to join NCP (Ajit Pawar) where he got AB form and is contesting the polls from Ajit Pawar faction. He has brought 34 corporators with him into NCP (AP) fold. It is not known how BJP will deal with the issues of local leaders at Mauda and Kamptee as the outsider Tidke is being fielded in Mauda and Shahajahan will be the Mahayuti’s candidate. It is said that BJP may field its own candidate and endeavour for his victory. Ajit Pawar group leader in Nagpur district Rajabhau Tanksale has broken BJP in Kanhan, Sharad Pawar faction of NCP in Kandri, Congress in Saoner, Kamptee and in Umred as several top leaders joined the group.

 

Tanksale told ‘The Hitavada’ “Dr Manohar Pathak from BJP in Kanhan, Ganesh Pantawane of Sharad Pawar group from Kandri with 17 corporators, Gopal Ghate of Congress (General Secretary and Chairman of Panchayat Samiti) with 17 corporators, a Congress leader from Umred too is joining. There are several other leaders showing willingness to join our group and we are welcoming them.” According to ‘The Hitavada’ Koradi Correspondent, hundreds of Congress workers and office bearers, joined BJP supporting Prasanna (Raja) Tidke. The joining ceremony was held at the public relations office in Koradi. On this occasion, under the leadership of former MLA Tekchand Savarkar and BJP Taluka Mandal President Mukesh Agarwal, Congress’ Dilip Sirsam, Kalpantai Mankar, former Corporator Nandatai Iwnate, Savitri Katkar, Varsha Larokar, Nana Ingle, Rajendra Jaiswal, Prithviraj Gujar, Nitesh Supare, Dharmaraj Nimje, Sanjay Taywade, and many Congress office-bearers joined BJP. Bawankule said, “Congress workers have lost faith in their leadership. Today, the situation has reached such a stage that Congress leaders do not see each other’s faces. Therefore, their workers are upset and are joining the BJP, reposing faith in the leadership of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavisji. Wishing the office bearers and workers who have joined the BJP, he appealed to everyone to take the schemes of the State and Central Government to every home.” 

 

 

 

 

 

As per the information received from ‘The Hitavada’ Ramtek Correspondent, for the upcoming Ramtek Municipal Council elections, the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance failed to reach an agreement for the post of President and the seat-sharing formula, leading to the break-up of the alliance. City Congress Committee President Damodar Dhopate resigned from the post and the party, upset over not receiving the ticket.

 

 

 

“We accept the mandate of people of Bihar and vow to strengthen Congress in that State,” said senior Congress leader, In-Charge of Uttar Pradesh Avinash Pandey. Pandey was the member of core team of the party that had the responsibility of monitoring poll management in Bihar for recent State Assembly polls. Pandey has been an asset to the party in recent past despite