PMC polls: High-voltage drama on last day of filing nominations

The BJP managed to forge alliance with city RPI (A) with RPI (A) to contest on BJP symbol. The Shiv Sena and MNS fielded candidates to contest independently with MIM trying to make an entry into city politics.

To retain power in PMC, while taking stock of BJP’s aggressive campaign, the NCP has managed a tie up with Congress on 86 seats with NCP contesting 56 seats and Congress contesting on 30 seats. However, they will have a friendly contest in remaining 76 seats. As per the alliance, the NCP would be contesting on 132 seats and the Congress would contest on 106 seats.

The BJP is contesting 152 seats with 10 seats for RPI (A), which they would contest on BJP symbol. The RPI(A) had demanded 20 seats but were given only 10 seats and the local party unit after holding discussion with candidates decided to contest on BJP symbol as the party had no symbol of its own.

The Shiv Sena after snapping ties with BJP would be trying to re-establish its lost pride in the assembly elections. It has fielded 154 candidates — maximum by any political party in PMC. MNS had emerged as the second largest party in 2012 PMC elections but has failed to get candidates to contest all seats this election and have fielded 126 candidates.

Among the last-minute party turncoats include sitting corporator Reshma Bhosale filing her nomination as BJP candidate after being denied ticket by NCP, Shivalal Bhosale of NCP contesting on Shiv Sena ticket, BJP corporator Dhananjay Jadhav fielding wife Jayashree Jadhav on Shiv Sena ticket and NCP corporator Vijaya Kapre on Shiv Sena ticket.

The sitting corporators contesting on BJP ticket after switching loyalties in the recent past are Bapu Karne, Anil Tingre, Abhijeet Kadam, Sheetal Sawant, Sunita Galande, Rupali Dhawade-wife of Dinesh Dhawade, Sunita Galande, Prakash Dhore, Rajabhay Laygude and former corporators Rajendra Endol, Raja Barate, Shankar Pawar, Kiran Bartakke and Prasanna Jagtap.