PCMC polls: After reservation of seats, several hopefuls see new dawn of hope, gear up to throw hat in poll ring

Recalling his first tryst with election, Shendge–who is popularly known as Shendge sir in the prabhag–said he had lost the 2002 elections by a meagre margin of 22 votes. “I had then contested the election as a Shiv Sena-BJP candidate. I was fighting against Sopan Londhe, who was contesting as a BJP rebel. I lost just by 22 votes…Now the situation has changed. I am the only strong candidate from my party. I am the original OBC,” he claimed.

Shendge said since 2002, the seat was continuously reserved for women candidates. ”Every time I used to prepare for the elections, I realised later that I won’t be able to contest as my seat got reserved for women,” he said. But the Shendge family was lucky. His younger sister, Asha Shendge, has been elected from the same prabhag, contesting on OBC seat for women. This time, however, there will be no OBC seat for women, putting her out of race.

Similarly, Ganesh Langote of BJP, who had lost in a by-election in 2016, is again eyeing the Mohan Nagar-Kalbhornagar–from OBC category (Prabhag Number 14). ”I am the original OBC…I had last contested the election in 2016 but could not succeed,” he said.

Langote said his party colleague Kailas Kute is the only challenge for him in the party. ”But we also have a seat for open category candidate. He can contest from that seat and I will contest from OBC seat,” he said.

In the same ward, activist Maruti Bhapkar is also gearing up to contest once again. Bhapkar had contested several elections from Mohannagar area. He had won in 2007 when several civic activists from Pimpri-Chinchwad had campaigned for him. ”Either Maruti Bhapkar or his son will fight the election from Mohannagar. Maruti Bhapkar wants to contest for one last time. In 2007, he had created history of sorts by defeating bigwigs in Mohannagar. Bhapkar had contested as an independent. The total expenditure of his elections must have been around Rs 30,000 and that amount too came from the people living in the area who supported him to the hilt,” recalled Domnic Lobo, a close associate.

Yet another hopeful is Veena Sonawalkar, state BJP Mahila Morcha OBC vice-president. ”I am gearing up to contest from Prabhag Number 9 on OBC seat which is in Nehrunagar-Masulkar Colony area. Last time in 2017, I was also a claimant but the ticket went to someone else. In 2012, I had contested but lost to Vaishali Ghodekar of NCP. The scene has changed completely. The BJP is much more stronger than it was in 2012. And this time I have a good opportunity to become the corporator.”

Iklas Sayed, a hopeful from Akurdi and belonging to NCP (S-P) said, ”I was gearing to contest the elections. But suddenly after the reservation of seats and changed political scenario, I will have to do lot of analysis and calculations. I will take the decision in next couple of days.”

Political analyst Avinash Chilekar said, “The seat reservation has created lot of problems for the bigwigs. At the same, it has created opportunities for those who were waiting in the wings for years. We might well see several new comers winning civic election and becoming corporators for the first time next year.”

The PCMC elections were last held in 2017. After its five-year term ended, the state government had appointed Shekhar Singh as the administrator and the municipal commissioner. He was in the saddle for more than two years. He was the only second administrator in the history of the PCMC after Harnam Singh.

In 2017 elections, the BJP had captured power in PCMC by ousting the NCP which had in alliance with Congress ruled the civic body for nearly twenty years. The BJP had won nearly 80 seats relegating the NCP to the second spot.

NCP scotches speculations of alliance

Amid speculations that Ajit Pawar-led NCP might join hands with Sharad Pawar-led NCP, Yogesh Behl, president of Pimpri-Chinchwad unit of NCP, denied any such possibility. ”Yesterday, I had said that NCP (S-P) was keen to have an alliance with our party. But my statement got misinterpreted. I had said that I have learnt that Supriya Sule or Rohit Pawar had given a proposal to jointly contest the election. I never said they had given the proposal… Our party chief Ajit Pawar called me up and berated me for issuing such a statement. There is going to be no alliance between two NCPs,” he said.