Split wide open: supporters rally behind Lande

Lande said though he tried his best in the Lok Sabha elections,he lost. “Now that the party has got what it wanted from me,the seniors are making allegations against me,” he said. Local strongman Balasaheb Gavhane,president of the Akhil Bhartiya Kustigir Sanghtana,came to his support at the gathering.

Indicating a split in the NCP ranks,Sharad Borhade,deputy mayor of PCMC,came out openly in support of Lande,“The party has not given the ticket to a deserving candidate. We will see to it that Lande wins from this constituency as an independent canididate,” he said. Corporator and former standing committee chairman Ajit Gavhane,corporator Santosh Londhe and Prakash Chavan of Mathadi Kamgaar Sanghtana also came out openly in support of Lande.

Lande said that he made efforts to get the financial grant from the state government for the development of pilgrimage centres of Alandi and Dehu. During his tenure,the water supply projects,roads and sports complexes were built in his constituency.

“I was always there for the party. I don’t know what wrong did I do that the party denied me a ticket,” he said.

When Lande was asked whether he would go ahead with his candidature,he said,“There is still one day left for me to withdraw. I will seek the opinion of party workers and my supporters and then arrive at a decision.”