NASHIK, SEPT 5: Babanrao Gholap has a rare distinction - he took on the Shiv Sena chief but has emerged without being burnt in the bargain. Whether it was his clever treachery to file his nomination as an Independent in the full knowledge that nephew Ravikiran's would be rejected, or his subsequent arrest and release in the Awami Bank scam or his presence at Thackeray's public meeting in the area followed by their secret meeting - Gholap has emerged quite unscathed and primed to pip his competitors at the post.He blames the BJP for a larger conspiracy to defame/blame the Shiv Sena. In the process, he wants to curry favour with the Sena bosses who have flatly refused to support his independent candidature from Devlali Assembly constituency). Gholap has two things on his side: He has nurtured his constituency and has electoral merit; and the Sena has not yet expelled him.Consequently, the Shiv Sainiks from his constituency carry the impression that though the Sena has not formally supported Gholap'sindependent candidature (for allegedly scuttling the nomination of the official nominee and nephew, Ravikiran), the Sena chief wants him to win. Gholap and the official Sena nominee for the Nashik Lok Sabha seat, Uttamrao Dhikale still use the same campaign office at Vikas Bhavan, near Anuradha cinema theatre at Nashik Road, which adds to Gholap's advantage.Another important factor is that Gholap claims that he had filed his nomination as an independent candidate only after Sena leader Raj Thackeray asked him to do so. The Sena leadership, by not publicising the findings of the inquiry team (which probed into the missing letter of authorisation issued by the party for Ravikiran's nomination resulting in rejection of his papers) and by not taking any punitive action against Gholap (for tricking the party) has sent out a signal to the party's rank and file that it had secretly supported Gholap.Gholap, who has the backing of Sainiks of the constituency, is taking advantage of the situation and even takinga dig at the BJP (Sena's electoral partner) which had pressurised the Sena to deny him a ticket. His padayatras in the Nashik Road-Devlali constituency attracts Sainiks same as ever before, the only difference being the new election symbol (of an aeroplane). Local Sena leaders and office-bearers, too, keep a studied silence on the issue, to Gholap's advantage.The arrest of Gholap in Mumbai in connection with the Awami bank scam, is being used by Gholap to whip up sentiments of Sainiks against the BJP. His argument is that the case was more than a year-old and that there was no need for the BJP (which had prevailed upon the Sena to deny him a ticket) and Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde to expedite his arrest, which could have waited till the polling day.The Sena's silence in pinpointing responsibility for the missing nomination letter of Ravikiran despite an inquiry, its refusal to expel Gholap from the party are, at present, working to his advantage.
