NAGPUR, JULY 27: The Sena-BJP combine is likely to exchange at least two Assembly seats in Nagpur district in the ensuing elections, scheduled in September next.According to available information, the Shiv Sena is insisting on East Nagpur Assembly constituency in lieu of Central Nagpur. In both the consistencies Sena-BJP combine candidates suffered humiliating defeat at the hands of Congress nominees in 1995 poll. These were the two constituencies in the city where Congress maintained its hold in the last elections.Talking to The Indian Express, a senior Sena leader claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership has accepted the proposal in principle and a formal announcement was expected any moment. Kishore Parate, Sena corporator of Nagpur Municipal Corporation is the main contender for the seat while the city BJP president, Girish Vyas is likely to be the party nominee for the East Nagpur Assembly constituency.Similarly, Katol assembly constituency would be given to Sena in an exchange for Kamptee seat in the district. In both the seats, the saffron combine also lost to Independents, who had later supported the combine. The former Maharashtra minister of state for education, Anil Deshmukh, and Deorao Radke, won from Katol and Kamptee constituencies respectively as Congress rebels in 1995.Initially, the combine wanted to extend its support to the expelled minister, Deshmukh. However, the political equation has changed in the wake of his entry to the Nationalist Congress Party a couple of days back. Dipti Kalmegh, a former Shetkari Sanghatana activist, is likely to be fielded as Sena nominee from Katol in the forthcoming elections.On the other hand, the Sena has not agreed to give the Ramtek parliamentary seat to BJP as a quid-pro-quo for the Yavatmal Lok Sabha seat. `We are in a better position in Ramtek this time, so why should we leave the seat?' asked the senior Sena leader and pointed out that the BJP was facing rough weather in Yavatmal following Rajabhau Thakre's quitting the party. The latter, along with supporters, had recently joined the NCP. `Since it is hard for them (BJP) to win Yavatmal seat, they are offering us the seat', he quipped and observed that it would be difficult for the Sena leadership to convince its rank and file for leaving a `winning' seat of Ramtek for Yavatmal, where the BJP remains a divided house.Around ten more Assembly seats are likely to be exchanged between the saffron partners in the region in the ensuing elections.Meanwhile, the BJP has reportedly agreed to leave the Dadar (Mumbai) Lok Sabha seat in lieu of Pandharpur. The former chief minister, Manohar Joshi is likely to contest from Dadar Lok Sabha constituency. On the other hand, the RPI leader, Ramdas Athawale, is keen to contest as a NCP-RPI alliance nominee from Pandharpur this time.
