Pune, Oct 29 (PTI) Three senior Congress leaders from Pune, including a former mayor and an ex-corporator, have entered the electoral fray as Independent candidates after failing to make it on the list of Maha Vikas Aghadi nominees for the November 20 assembly elections.
These leaders include Ulhas alias Aaba Bagul, a former municipal corporator, ex-mayor Kamal Vyavhare, and Manish Anand.
Bagul filed his nomination papers from the Parvati assembly segment after the seat was allocated to NCP (SP). Vyawhare and Anand submitted their nominations from Kasba Peth and Shivajinagar constituencies, respectively.
The NCP (SP) has picked Ashwini Jagtap from the Parvati seat. Incidentally, Jagtap was defeated by BJP’s Madhuri Misal in the 2019 elections from this seat.
In the Shivaji Nagar constituency, the Congress fielded Datta Bahirat against sitting BJP MLA Sidharth Shirole, causing heartburn among hopefuls including Anand.
Congress renominated MLA Ravindra Dhangekar from the Kasba Peth constituency. Dhangekar had humbled BJP’s Hemant Rasne in a bypoll held earlier this year. He will once again cross swords with Rasne in the November 20 assembly elections.
“It is a misconception that the Parvati seat traditionally belongs to the NCP. It used to be a Congress bastion till it was reserved for backward classes. In 2009, the constituency became open for the general category,” Bagul told PTI.
He said the NCP (undivided) has failed to win the Parvati constituency three times on trot.
“Our demand for allocating Parvati’s seat to Congress was overlooked,” Bagul said citing his 40-year-old association with Congress.
He added that Ashwini Jagtap had unsuccessfully contested elections from Parvati in 2019.
“With this approach, when will Rahul Gandhi become Prime Minister?” Bagul wondered.
Vyavhare, who filed her nomination as an Independent candidate from Kasba Peth constituency after rebelling against Congress, said she had worked in the Pune municipal corporation for 25 years.
Manish Anand said he decided to fight as an Independent nominee from the Shivajinagar constituency as insisted by the party workers.
Mohan Joshi, vice president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, said senior leaders will reach out to Bagul, Vyavahare and Anand.
“I am sure they will understand and withdraw their nominations for the large goal to defeat the Mahayuti alliance,” he added. PTI SPK NSK
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