In this panel, located in the heart of the city, the candidates to watch out for are BJP leader Ganesh Bidkar and former MNS corporator Ravindra Dhangekar, who is contesting as an Independent sponsored by the Congress. In the past, Dhangekar has won the civic elections four times in a row. Initially a member of the Shiv Sena, Dhangekar, a Raj Thackeray loyalist, later joined the MNS. He has won the last two civic elections on a MNS ticket with a clean majority. Watch what else is in the news Right before the civic elections, Dhangekar left the MNS and joined the Congress. While the BJP had its eyes on him, Bapat and Bidkar’s opposition to his induction in the party made Dhangekar settle for Congress at the last moment. However, failure to submit party documents on time has forced him to contest as an Independent candidate. On the other hand, Bidkar is a senior BJP leader who has headed the party in the PMC. In the 2012 elections, he had defeated former mayor and NCP candidate Mohansingh Rajpal. Bidkar was also elected the chief of the PMC’s Standing Committee. To maintain its presence in the panel, the MNS has fielded party loyalist Rahul Tikone against Bidkar and Dhangekar.
