Nagpur. The decision on OBC reservation in the Supreme Court did not come in favor of the government and on the other hand the state government is adamant on the decision not to allow local body elections without making arrangements for OBC reservation. In such a situation, it cannot be said whether the upcoming municipal elections will be held on time or not, but despite this, there is a large number of workers who have got the candidature of the main party BJP and Congress. Since BJP has been the ruling party, 20-25 contenders are coming out behind one ticket.
At the same time, more than 1,000 aspirants have applied to get Congress ticket. NCP has also intensified the election strategy in the city. Shivsena’s own preparations are going on. A list of 3 aspirants from each division is being prepared on his behalf. Some parties are preparing to enter the electoral fray jointly. In that election season, there is a challenge to choose the winning candidates in front of the ruling BJP and Congress leaders, while the NCP-Sena has a shortfall of candidates.
50 percent ticket cut
The biggest fight for getting BJP ticket is going on. The divisions falling under each assembly constituency have a number of more than 500 including office bearers, workers, corporators, former corporators etc. willing to contest. Means more than 3,000 are willing to contest elections in the divisions falling under 6 Vidhan Sabha and in 2-3 Vis areas, interviews of these interested candidates have also been done. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari himself has become active 2-3 days before the appointment of administrator in the Municipal Corporation. In his hands, in almost every area of the city, the work of Bhoomi Pujan of many projects, roads etc. is being done.
It should also be mentioned that BJP had conducted an internal survey about 6 months ago and on the basis of that it was said that 80 percent of the sitting corporators’ tickets would be deducted, but BJP is not willing to take the risk of change in such a large number because of the current circumstances. There is also resentment among citizens towards his corporators in many divisions. A list of corporators against whom there is anger among the workers is being prepared.
It is being told that at least 50 percent of the sitting corporators’ tickets are going to be cut. Gadkari himself has also clarified that the corporators against whom there is anger among the workers and citizens, they should understand themselves. The party is in the mood to give tickets to such workers who have been among the public, but the number of such candidates is also so much that it is in front of the party to give the candidature of whom among them.
Congress stopped form distribution
Congress is in the state government this time. Congress can get the benefit of power in Municipal elections. There is a competition of aspirants to get the ticket of Congress, which is the second party in the Municipal Corporation. City President Vikas Thackeray is working on a strategy to fight the elections by uniting all the factions. Till March 5, more than 1,000 willing candidates had taken the form to contest the election on Congress ticket.
Meaning there is a fight going on in Congress also to get ticket. There are a lot of willing workers for the divisions coming under all the 6 Vis regions. Young workers are also raising the demand to give a chance to new faces in the party. In the coming time, when the distribution of the form will be started again, then surely the number of claimants will increase further. While choosing the winning faces in front of the party leaders will be a challenge, it will also be a headache to handle those who will not be given tickets. If they do not get a ticket from the Congress, the workers can rebel and go towards the NCP.
nc started to wake up the workers
In the last election, the NCP was almost wiped out from the city. The only one, Duneshwar Pethe, who is now the city president, came by electing him, but this time the NCP leader is working vigorously to increase his seats in the Municipal Corporation. Since former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh came into trouble, the NCP high command has entrusted the local protection of Nagpur to Praful Patel and the district inspector to Rajendra Jain. Some time ago, Patel started a campaign to revive the party by visiting the homes of old and senior NCP office-bearers and workers.
For the past few days, that campaign also slowed down, but now on March 6, Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil, Praful Patel and Rajendra Jain are reaching the city themselves to activate the workers again. Home Minister Patil himself will interact with the city officials and workers. He will guide them in the context of municipal elections. At present, for every seat in the city, the NCP is being told a huge shortage of ‘strong’ candidates.
Shivsena gains if Aghadi is fought
There is also no Shiv Sena cadre in the city. Although since MLA Dushyant Chaturvedi has got the responsibility, efforts are being made to strengthen the party-organization, but it is being said that on the lines of the state, if all the three parties involved in Mavia, Congress-NCP-Sena, contest the elections together, then the army too. Seats will be won, as well as a strong challenge can be given to the BJP in the MNP as well. Experts believe that this time there is also anger among citizens regarding many BJP corporators. In South Nagpur, discrimination has also been done in development works in many divisions. The same has happened in some other divisions as well. The parties which have been in opposition so far can get the benefit of this. There is no competition between parties like NCP-Shiv Sena-MNS etc. for candidature.