NCP trying to fight fissures,allegations

The NCP had given itself a headstart by announcing its poll manifesto the day the model code of conduct came into force. In fact,the manifesto was announced hours before the code of conduct came into force and also before the manifesto for the Pune Municipal Corporation was made public,the same day. “We had been planning PMC and PCMC manifestos for a year now. That’s why we could release them in Pimpri and Pune city much before other parties,” said NCP leader Vandana Chavan.

The Shiv Sena and BJP,however,had stolen a march on the others in interviewing candidates. The MNS (it had conducted a written exam too),NCP and Congress followed. Each party interviewed 500 hopefuls and the majority were serious candidates,as stated by the respective parties.

The poll terrain of Pimpri-Chinchwad,however,presents a somewhat confusing picture. Political observers say the NCP looks a much stronger party as it has several heavyweight leaders but internal divisions in the unit have somewhat bogged it down.

On the other hand,the Opposition,comprising the Congress,Shiv Sena and BJP,lack strong candidates who could ensure them the required numbers to gain power at PCMC. They seem clueless as to what their plan of action should be.

Even Independent corporator Maruti Bhapkar,does not hazard a guess. “Nothing can be said at this juncture as to which party has an edge. Things would become clearer only after ticket distribution,” he said.

In the 2007 polls,the NCP had won 60 of the 105 wards. Later,nine corporators who had fought and won as Independents or rebel candidates joined the NCP as associate members,giving the party,what pollsters here describe as brute majority. The only Independent candidate who had kept away from NCP was Bhapkar.

Some political observers feel that the NCP may not be able to repeat the 2007 performance as the party is divided into camps. “Unlike in 2007,when the party had put up a united front,there are several fissures this time. There are least four camps,each trying to score over the other. In such a scenario,it would not be easy for NCP to do an encore,” said P Landge,a political leader.

The four camps are led by MLA Laxman Jagtap,party unit chief Azam Pansare,associate party MLA Vilas Lande and Mayor Yogesh Behl. They have not been seeing eye to eye. Political observers point out that Jagtap and Pansare rivalry has reached a peak while Lande and Behl camps have been at odds since Lande contested the Assembly elections as a rebel against NCP’s Mangala Kadam in 2009.

NCP leader and Pune district guardian minister Ajit Pawar,who calls the shots in PCMC,had finally brought about a truce among the factions. He got a state job for Pansare and acceeded key demands of Lande and Jagtap regarding regularisation of illegal structures. The state government made an announcement to the effect.

“Ajit Pawar is going all out to recapture PCMC headquarters. However,it all hinges on whether the division in the party has been buried,” say senior leaders.

Opposition divided,house too

If NCP is a divided House,the Congress,the other largest party in the PCMC House,which had won 20 wards in 2007,is a shadow of its past. The Congress had been at the helm in the PCMC for years before the NCP dislodged it. The Congress numbers are falling quickly as its corporators have been of late ‘flying into NCP arms’,as one leader put it. Two years back,its Pimpri unit chief Shrirang Barne had joined the Congress. But last week,two Congress corporators joined NCP. The third,Yeshwant Bhosale,is likely to join NCP. A fourth corporator,Amar Moolchandani,remains undecided whether to remain with the Congress or join NCP.

Opposition BJP and Shiv Sena are no better. The BJP has witnessed turmoil after Eknath Pawar was appointed president of the party unit. After the death of Ankush Landge,the party has been struggling to get a strong leader with a mass base. The Shiv Sena,which had four corporators in the outgoing PCMC house,is divided in the industrial town into two camps,one led by MP Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil and the other by MP Gajanan Babar. The two most vocal corporators of the Shiv Sena,Sulbha Ubale and Seema Savle,are in rival camps. While Ubale is with the Adhalrao camp,Savle is with the Babar camp. Both spare no opportunity to show the other in poor light. However,Sena leaders claim the party is united. “After our executive president Uddhav Thackeray visited Pimpri-Chinchwad and sent a strong message,things have cooled down. We are as united as earlier,” says Sena youth leader Sarang Kamtekar.