Revolt rocks NCP

MUMBAI, AUG 20: Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar will get a taste of the medicine he administered to the Congress I in 19...

MUMBAI, AUG 20: Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar will get a taste of the medicine he administered to the Congress I in 1995 Assembly elections 8212; fielding rebels as Independents against the official candidate of the party. In a dramatic development, at least four aspirants who were denied Assembly tickets by the Nationalist Congress Party, today decided to contest as Independent candidates.

Surprisingly, NCP spokesperson Gurunath Kulkarni, dubbed the development as an inter-party affair and advised the rebels to work honestly for the NCP.

Sahebrao Bhintade, Bhalchandra Sawant, Vyankatesh Jadhav and Chandan Sharma, addressed a gathering of several supporters and office bearers from NCP8217;s Mumbai north-east unit at Saki Naka this evening and decided to contest as Independent candidates, if NCP leader Sharad Pawar refused to issue them tickets. In fact, Bhintade told The Indian Express that he would file his nomination papers on Saturday for the Kurla Assembly constituency.

There wasyet another interesting twist to the entire episode, as Republican Party of India RPI leader Suresh Kamble attended the meeting and expressed displeasure over Pawar8217;s decision to snatch the Kurla constituency away from the RPI. The NCP has fielded another prominent candidate, Shivajirao Nalavade, from Kurla. Nalavade is associated with various cooperative societies and banks.

The disgruntled candidates have also written a letter to Pawar which says, without mincing words, that if the latter failed to issue tickets to them, the former would contest as Independents. Reads the letter, 8220;The NCP has taken a clear lead in the Mumbai north-east constituency. However, there is displeasure in the rank and file of the party over Shivaji Nalavade8217;s appointment as NCP district unit chief. By fielding Nalavade from Kurla, there is a possibility that the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance will take the seat away. All office bearers in Mumbai north-east are extremely frustrated and are looking out for otheroptions. You are requested to take a serious note of the feelings and avoid a possible split in the party.8221;

The letter is signed by Bhalchandra Sawant, Dashrath Madhukunta, Sahebrao Bhintade, Vyankatesh Jadhav, Vinayak Kadam, Balwant Pawar and Shankar Bhise. Speaking to The Indian Express, Bhintade said Pawar must review his decision at the earliest. On the other hand, Kulkarni said Nalavde will be the official candidate of the NCP and the others should engage themselves in campaigning. NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal and Pawar were not available for comment as they are on a tour.