4 min readChandrapurUpdated: Feb 5, 2026 10:49 PM IST
Senior Congress leader and Chandrapur MLA Vijay Wadettiwar on Tuesday said that no nomination form for the mayor’s post had been filed by his faction. (File Photo)
Despite being one of the few municipal corporations in Maharashtra where the Congress is in a position to stake a claim to the mayor’s post, deep factional divisions between the Vijay Wadettiwar and Pratibha Dhanorkar groups continue to pose a challenge for the party ahead of the Chandrapur mayoral election scheduled for February 10.
Nomination forms for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor have been filed by the BJP, Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), with all three parties asserting that their candidates will secure the top civic post. For the Congress, Chandrapur is a crucial test case, as it is one of only two corporations, along with Latur, where the party has the number to lead the civic body.
However, the Congress’s prospects have been repeatedly undermined by infighting between the Wadettiwar and Dhanorkar factions, both of which sought control over the mayoral post after the municipal elections. Despite multiple interventions by Maharashtra Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal, the dispute continued, forcing the party high command to step in.
Senior Congress leader and Chandrapur MLA Vijay Wadettiwar on Tuesday said that no nomination form for the mayor’s post had been filed by his faction, maintaining that the decision taken by the party leadership in Delhi and the Pradesh Congress Committee had been accepted by all Congress groups.
Wadettiwar said corporators from the Pratibha Dhanorkar group have filed nomination forms for the mayor’s post, while senior corporator Vasantrao Deshmukh has filed his nomination for deputy mayor. “Since the high command has taken a clear decision, none from our side (Wadettiwar faction) has filled the mayoral nomination form,” he said.
“As per the high command’s decision, 27 Congress corporators will meet and come together. Therefore, there is no confusion or uncertainty regarding the mayoral post,” Wadettiwar said.
The standoff between the two factions had earlier escalated into a legal battle, when 18 Congress corporators aligned with Wadettiwar approached the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court against the divisional commissioner, alleging procedural lapses in group registration and voting documentation. Wadettiwar said the petition has since been withdrawn.
The conflict also saw Wadettiwar lead a delegation of corporators to Delhi to demonstrate strength, even as the party leadership ultimately upheld the state unit’s decision to allot the mayor’s post to the Dhanorkar group and the group leader’s position to the Wadettiwar faction, with a power sharing formula proposed for later.
With rival parties also in the fray, the Congress faces the risk of losing advantage if it fails to consolidate its numbers. When asked about the claims by the BJP and Shiv Sena (UBT) that their corporators could become mayor, Wadettiwar sought to downplay the urgency. “Now that the election date is fixed, there is no point in rushing decisions,” he said.
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Candidates from Shiv Sena (UBT) have filed nominations for the mayor and deputy mayor posts, while the BJP has also submitted nomination forms.
Wadettiwar said the Congress currently has the backing of 32 corporators, including allies, in the 66 member Chandrapur Municipal Corporation and requires the support of two more corporators. “Discussions are ongoing in this regard,” he said.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Pratibha Dhanorkar said her group has staked claim to the mayor’s post, with Rajesh Adur becoming the gat neta (party leader), while Vasantrao Deshmukh (from Wadettiwar faction) has been proposed as deputy mayor. “The nomination forms were filed accordingly,” she said, adding that a meeting with AICC general secretary K C Venugopal had finalised a power-sharing arrangement between the two factions.
The BJP, which has 23 corporators along with one from the Shinde faction, taking its tally to 24, has also indicated that it is exploring the possibility of staking claim to the mayor’s post.
Ankita Deshkar is a Deputy Copy Editor and a dedicated fact-checker at The Indian Express. Based in Maharashtra, she specializes in bridging the gap between technical complexity and public understanding. With a deep focus on Cyber Law, Information Technology, and Public Safety, she leads "The Safe Side" series, where she deconstructs emerging digital threats and financial scams. Ankita is also a certified trainer for the Google News Initiative (GNI) India Training Network, specializing in online verification and the fight against misinformation. She is also an AI trainer with ADiRA (AI for Digital Readiness and Advancement)
Professional Background & Expertise
Role: Fact-checker & Deputy Copy Editor, The Indian Express
Experience: Started working in 2016
Ankita brings a unique multidisciplinary background to her journalism, combining engineering logic with mass communication expertise. Her work often intersects regional governance, wildlife conservation, and digital rights, making her a leading voice on issues affecting Central India, particularly the Vidarbha region.
Key focus areas include:
Fact-Checking & Verification: As a GNI-certified trainer, she conducts workshops on debunking deepfakes, verifying viral claims, and using OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) tools.
Cyber Law & IT: With postgraduate specialization in Cyber Law, she decodes the legalities of data privacy, digital fraud, and the evolving landscape of intellectual property rights.
Public Safety & Health: Through her "The Safe Side" column, she provides actionable intelligence on avoiding "juice jacking," "e-SIM scams," and digital extortion.
Regional Reporting: She provides on-ground coverage of high-stakes issues in Maharashtra, from Maoist surrenders in Gadchiroli to critical healthcare updates and wildlife-human conflict in Nagpur.
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Ankita is currently pursuing her PhD in Mass Communication and Journalism, focusing on the non-verbal communication through Indian classical dance forms. Her academic foundation includes:
MA in Mass Communication (RTM Nagpur University)
Bachelors in Electrical Engineering (RTM Nagpur University)
Post Graduate Diploma (PGTD) in Cyber Law and Information Technology
Specialization in Intellectual Property Rights
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Cyber Security: "Lost money to a scam? Act within the 'golden hour' or risk losing it all" — A deep dive into the critical window for freezing fraudulent transactions.
Public Health: "From deep coma to recovery: First fully recovered Coldrif patient discharged" — Investigating the aftermath of pharmaceutical toxins and the healthcare response.
Governance & Conflict: "Gadchiroli now looks like any normal city: SP Neelotpal" — An analysis of the socio-political shift in Maoist-affected regions.
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Ankita is best known for her ability to translate "technical jargon into human stories." Whether she is explaining how AI tools like MahaCrimeOS assist the police or exposing the dire conditions of wildlife transit centres, her writing serves as a bridge between specialized knowledge and everyday safety.
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