At Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, draw of lots deals blow to former corporators

Officials of thePimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s election department said of the 37 seats reserved for OBC candidates, 24 were reserved directly while the draw of lots was held for 13 wards.

The draw of lots was held at Prof Ramkrishna More auditorium in Chinchwad. (File Photo)

Outgoing corporators in Pimpri-Chinchwad on Friday received a jolt as their wards came to be reserved either for OBC candidates or general category women. The reservation followed a draw of lots for 37 OBC wards and 38 general category women.

Among the former corporators whose wards were reserved for OBC candidates or women candidates were the likes Yogesh Behl, who is also the former mayor, former deputy mayor Keshav Gholve, former Shiv Sena house leader Rahul Kalate, former Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) House leader Sachin Chikhale and former standing committee chairman Santosh Londhe.

The draw of lots was held at Prof Ramkrishna More auditorium in Chinchwad. Municipal Commissioner Rajesh Patil, Additional Municipal Commissioner Jitendra Wagh and PCMC election department head Balasaheb Khandekar were among those present.

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Officials of the PCMC’s election department said of the 37 seats reserved for OBC candidates, 24 were reserved directly while the draw of lots was held for 13 wards. For general category women, 31 wards were reserved directly while the draw of lots was held for 7 wards.

The draw, though, came as a breather for Usha Dhore, the mayor of Pimpri-Chinchwad till March 12, Hirabhai Ghule, a former mayor, Namdeo Dhake, former house leader and former standing committee chairpersons Seema Savale, Vilas Medigiri and Nitin Landge as their wards were not reserved. They will get an opportunity to fight for their wards again. Among the other big names who will have to search for new wards from which to contest the ensuing civic elections are former NCP corporators Mayur Kalate, Rahul Bhosale Jagdish Shetty and Ulhas Shetty, as well as BJP corporator Ashwini Bobde.

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