BJP faces heat as high voltage BJP faces heat as high voltage drama plays out in Prabhag 13

 

 

Although Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cooled down the temper of the hopefuls who were doubling up against the official candidates, the entire episode has dented image of the party. Portraying itself as party with difference, the problem that cropped up on six seats of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) due to tussle for tickets within BJP shed light on the internal tussle within the party, indicating perhaps that groupism now has come to play a role. Prabhag 13: High drama prevailed at Prabhag 13 (D) seat where Kisan Gawande, a party loyalist for long, was asked to withdraw from the race.

 

He was asked to bow down in favour of Vijay Holey, which prompted party activists to lock the former inside his Hazaripahad home. Gawande was first given the AB form by the BJP in view of his clean image, and rewarded for playing long role in ABVP and other allied organisations. However, a section within the party roped in Vijay Holey, a party activist. Gawande himself claimed that former was imported from other party. On learning about withdrawal, Gawande’s supporters locked him inside his house and would not allow him to withdraw from the election arena. BJP activists were not in unison with the higher-ups’ decision and later, former MLA Sudhakar Deshmukh reached Gawande’s house and tried to persuade party supporters to fall in line with high command’s decision.

 

Later Parinay Fuke, MLC, reached Gawande’s house and talked to him through and made him obey the orders of high command. Earlier, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis talked with Gawande and asked him to obey the order of local leadership and withdraw his nomination form. Since Gawande had submitted the nomination form first, obviously Holey stood no choice of getting BJP backing. So Holey’s backers, a group having connections to top brass of party, convinced them to drop Gawande so as to ensure safer sailing for Holey. Though Gawande’s supporter tried to stall, hoping that party big wigs would relent, but the hopes faded. Feeling let down, Gawande along with BJP local leaders went to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s contact office, but their pleadings went into vain. Within the same Prabhag, the BJP had also put up two candidates on seat no.

 

13 B, reserved for woman from Scheduled Tribe. Rutika Masram and Rupali Warthi had submitted their respective nominations in the run upto polls. It’s not known as to how BJP, which is well known for poll management, ended-up distributing two sets of AB form. Since Masram had submitted her form first, it was accepted as official nomination and Warthi became independent candidate. Warthi later bowed out of race on receiving instruction from the party seniors. Prabhag 18: Similar situation prevailed in Prabhag 18 A, a seat reserved for OBC candidate. The area is RSS-dominated comprising areas of Mahal, Chitnavispura, Rahtekarwadi, Shivajinagar, Killa, and political watchers were dumfounded after here too, two candidates submitted form as BJP candidates. They were Sudhir alias Bandu Raut and Dhiraj Chavan and in the end, Raut’s nomination as BJP candidate was upheld as valid as he was first to submit the form. An ex-corporator, Bandu Raut knew the ploy and acted smartly by submitting the nomination with AB form soon after getting the documents from the party. Dhiraj Chavan, an upcoming star within the BJP ranks, though having support of a powerful leader within the party, being novice at the game was simply outplayed, says the political grapevine.

 

Though Raut scored over his junior rival, the game sources said is still not over as the young party workers in the area are not willing to take things lying down. Chavan, as per information, has not withdrawn his nomination and already, the old saffron voters in the area have made intentions clear about toeing a line separate from that of party. Though saying so, at last moment, the BJP leadership role is going to play the decisive role, as was seen in earlier elections also. Prabhag 22: Here too, the dominant BJP faced dilemma as two young activists Shrikant Aglawe and Subhodh Acharya staked claim for party nomination. Both of them cut their teeth in Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and thereafter they moved over to BJP having gained rich organisational experience.

 

During the last NMC election also, Aglawe was in contention but got overlooked. The party leadership, after taking into account ground reports and feedback of activists, decided to go with Aglawe. Acharya promptly withdrew his form after being instructed by the party elders. The BJP leadership was successful in persuading other rebels in the fray, namely Sunil Agrawal, Shraddha Pathak, both ex-corporators; Subhodh Acharya, Bhaskar Parate, Rajendra Dhakate, Swati Akhatkar, Harish Dikondawar to withdraw. Also, the party successfully resolved the issue of double nomination as Sapna Hiranwar, Ambika Mahadik also took back their nomination on instructions of party. However, Vinayak Dehankar, husband of ex-Mayor Archana Dehankar, is defiant and in fray as independent candidate and so is Ninad Dixit. 

 

 

two prabhags will have friendly fights between two Mahayuti constituents--Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena (Shinde). In Prabhag 21-D, BJP’s Sanjay Awachat, a close confidant of East Nagpur MLA Krishna Khopde is contesting. Shiv Sena (Shinde) gave ticket to Ajay Dalal against Awachat. In Prabhag 24-B, former Chairman of Standing Committee Pradip Pohane is fielded by BJP. From here, Shiv Sena’s Jagatram Sinha has also filed nomination. It means in both these Prabhags, BJP and Sena will have friendly fight. BJP and Sena have an alliance in Nagpur Municipal Corporation polls. BJP is contesting on 143 seats and Sena on 8. Still both parties are having friendly fights in the above two prabhags. 

 

 

In Prabhag 28, Shiv Sena (UBT) is divided as its District Chief Kishor Kumeria will fight with party’s city chief Nitin Tiwari. It is said that in this prabhag, Kumeria was to file nomination from OBC category where he would have faced the challenge of BJP’s Pintu Zalke. Instead he fielded himself from the open category ward where Tiwari has also filed nomination. According to Tiwari, “Kumeria filed nomination a little early than I filed so he got party’s symbol. I informed this development to senior leader Sanjay Raut and Anil Desai. Both asked me to continue. I and Mangala Haware, ex-Corporator (now contesting as official UBT Sena candidate) have formed one group. I allege that Kumeria has made a way for BJP corporator by filing nomination in open category and not contesting from OBC.”

 

 

From about 1,500 aspirants who had submitted their nomination papers for the NMC elections, about 302 forms were withdrawn by the candidates. On last day of withdrawal, maximum candidates backed out of the race after being persuaded by party seniors. Most of them were from ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which sidelined many of its seniors in a bid to beat the anti-incumbency factor so as to keep their appeal fresh. Many of the forms were rejected during the scrutiny process on January 31 itself as there were infirmities. A complete nomination form is quite complex and hence recognised party keeps ready a force of lawyers to ensure that candidates do not err. It has been past experience that newcomers tend to commit most basic errors that leads to rejection of their forms. Many of the those who withdrew from the race included many of the independent candidates, most of which might have been fielded as dummy by the parties as a measure of safeguard. Also, the established players in the fray also reached out to the nominees in their respective Prabhags who they felt might cut into their vote base. Barring BJP and Congress Party, none of the other groups have managed to find candidates for all the 151 seats that goes to vote on January 15. As per the data compiled by NMC, maximum withdrawal of forms was seen in Lakadganj Zone, 43, followed by 37 in Mangalwari Zone. The least number of candidates who developed cold feet were in Laxmi Nagar Zone where only 4 Prabhags are included.