Ward panel chiefs’ battle today

Each political party,irrespective of alliances,is trying to ensure its representative gets elected. The chairpersons are elected by representatives of electoral wards and thus the committees have an interface with citizens,which presents a window to reach out to voters directly. No party would want to lose that,especially as the civic polls are less than a year away.

The ruling NCP,which has been on and off with the Congress in the current term that began in 2007,is taking on the Congress in Aundh ward office where NCP candidate Rohini Chimate will contest against Congress candidate Sangeeta Gaikwad.

They are pitted against each other in Tilakroad where Shankar Pawar of Congress is contesting against NCP’s Akrur Kudale. In Bhavani Peth,Congress corporator Avinash Bagwe will take on NCP’s Shantilal Misal and in Hadapsar Dattatraya Sasane of Congress will take on NCP’s Anand Alkunte.

“The Congress has made it clear it would go it alone in the next civic polls. The NCP had voted for the BJP in the standing committee chief election,instead of the Congress. This shows they are not interested in a tie-up with us,” said Congress leader Ulhas Bagul. NCP corporator Nilesh Nikam said his party follows directions of seniors and he would not like to comment.

Like the NCP and the Congress,BJP’s Medha Kulkarni is facing ally Shiv Sena’s Usha Kelkar in Warje-Karvenagar. MNS,which managed to get corporator Vasant More elected unopposed as chairperson of Dhankawadi ward committee despite being a lone corporator in the 14-member ward office,stands to gain in the fight between allies.

“Relations between Shiv Sena and BJP have been strained of late. There is no guarantee of any pre-poll alliance for the civic polls. So both are working to increase their strength,” said a BJP leader. Sena’s Shyam Deshpande said there were no differences in the saffron combine and they would come to power.

The BJP’s Manisha Ghate and Murlidhar Mohol do not have any contestants in Kasba-Vishrambaugwada and Kothrud respectively. Dipali Oswal of the Shiv Sena is the lone contender in Bibvewadi. Bandu Gaikwad of the Congress and Bapu Karne of the NCP do not have any challenge in Dhole-Patil and Vadgaonsheri ward committees respectively.

MNS hopes to gain from the divide in Sangamwadi where its candidate Rajendra Endel is taking on Congress corporator Shivaji Shinde. The Sena,which had been in alliance with the NCP until last year,will be pitted against each other in Ghole road ward committee where Raja Balkawade of the Sena will take on Vinod Orse of NCP.