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Journalism of Courage
Notwithstanding the persuasion of Congress leaders from Maharashtra and Delhi to stay away from the poll fray, Congress rebels in Pune did not withdraw their names on the last day of withdrawing nominations on Monday.
Three Congress leaders filed their nominations from three constituencies. Of the three seats, two are being contested by Congress and the third one by Sharad Pawar-led NCP. The three seats where the Maha Vikas Aghadi is facing rebellion are Shivajinagar, Parvati and Kasba Peth.
In Kasba Peth seat, Kamal Vyavahare, who is a former mayor, filed her nomination as Swarajya Party candidate after quitting the Congress.
In the same seat, Congress has once again fielded sitting MLA Ravindra Dhangekar, who had snatched the seat from BJP for the first time in three decades in the bypoll held last year.
In Parvati, Congress leader Aba Bagul, who is the incumbent vice-president of the party, filed his nomination as an independent candidate after failing to get the party ticket. The seat is being contested by NCP (SP), which has fielded Ashwini Kadam.
Bagul said, ”Only Arvind Shinde has come to my office for five minutes. We didn’t meet. No other Congress leader has contacted me…I am firm on contesting the seat. It will be a friendly fight.” In the Shivajinagar assembly seat, Manish Anand, former vice-president of the Khadki Cantonment Board, filed his nomination papers.
