Know Your Panel

This panel would witness an interesting battle between all party contestants as many sitting corporators of various political parties are going to be in the fray for the open category seat. This is likely to have its influence on the contest for the seat in the panel reserved for women of schedule caste category.

The panel has been formed by combining the electoral wards – Deccan college,Parnakutti and Yerawada gaothan. They are presently represented by Sanjay Bhosale of Shiv Sena,Hanif Shiekh of NCP and Avinash Salve of Congress.

The area has majority voters from the slum areas and the Congress,NCP have their hold in the area. For years,the Congress had representation from the area in the civic body and legislative assembly. However,there are many probables for the Congress ticket with veteran politicians trying to rope in their young generation from the panel. The NCP is likely to eye dissidents from the Congress as its candidate in the open category.

Incidentally,the previous civic polls was keenly fought among hen the Congress and NCP but the Shiv Sena took advantage of the fight to get its candidate elected from the seat. The situation is likely to prevail this time as well.

The panel witness flow of heavy traffic as the road to airport and Ahmednagar highway passes through the area. It is also connected to Alandi and gives direct access to Pune-Mumbai highway. The civic issues in the panel include those related to slums and encroachments alongside roads.

BJP keen to maintain stronghold

Nisha Nambiar

The newly formed panel has four wards merged into it which includes Congress corporator Abhay Chhajed,Congress corporator Shailendra Nalawade,independent corporator Sunil Bibwe and BJP corporator Sunil Kamble. With Kamble’s ward being covered 100 per cent in the panel,the BJP candidate is keen to contest in the SC (male) category. With the panel coming under the Parvati assembly constituency dominated by BJP,the three time corporator is sure that his party will do well in the coming civic election post the Khadakwasla byelection which had BJP candidate Bhimrao Tapkir winning against NCP candidate Harshada Wanjale.

For the open category there are plenty of women aspirants from BJP. The names include Vandana Bhimale,Prabhavati Matale,Asha Bibwe,Dr Shailaja Kale and Manasi Deshpande are the key frontrunners ahead of the civic elections. While BJP might have its candidate,the Congress has made no move. Even as Chhajed’s ward and Nalwade’s ward has been covered in this panel,the ward being reserved have the Congress yet to announce names. “Names of Raosaheb Khawale and Ravi Nanaware and Eshwar Vayal,Bhimrao Pative and Shyam Khasge are being discussed for contesting from this panel,”said a senior Congress leader.

As the area has three slums,75 cosmopolitan societies and two chawls,the candidates in the fray are clear that the people want well-educated representatives for the ward. From the Nationalist Congress Party Dr Sunita More who heads the tree committee,Mumtaz Sheikh and Alka Patil’s names have been doing the rounds.

The area has a lot of illicit liquor dens and garbage problem and lack of gardens and corporator Kamble claims he has been working towards this direction.

New women aspirants to make foray

Nisha Nambiar

The panel will witness a host of new entrants among women aspirants for the open category. The panel which has been formed by merging three wards- ward no 123 of independent corporator Sunil Bibwe,ward no 134 of Congress corporator Shailendra Nalwade and independent corporator Sanjay Nande_has a mix of slum population and cosmopolitan societies.

The area which has seen independent corporator Sunil Bibwe have a hold in the area will see him having one of his family members as aspirants for contesting the elections in the open category for women. “I have not yet decided but one of my family members will definitely contest the elections,”said Bibwe. While Congress corporator Shailandra Nalawade is a key front runner with the panel marked for OBC male. Nalawade says that even though Bibwe and Nande are independent corporators,Bibwe was an erstwhile Congressman while Nande supports the Congress. “We stand to have a good chance in the area,”says Nalawade of the Congress doing well in the area. They are relieved that BJP will not stand to give them a stiff opposition with no names doing the rounds yet. Even as the area falls under the Parvati Assembly constituency which is under BJP,the party is yet to decide on names according to BJP members. “Names of Bandu Jaibhai and Vikas Lawate are being discussed while for the open category Prabhavati Matale’s name may come up,”says a BJP member from the area. NCP who has hardly any presence in the area are yet to see any names being discussed. ‘Bapu Telkar and Pravin Damaji are being discussed from the NCP. Even as names are being decided there are huge number of female aspirants from all parties who might see their foray into politics. “Wives of former corporators and even fairly new party members may stand to get an opportunity from this panel,”says a Congress party worker.