Gadchiroli rivals display strength through bike rallies

Gadchiroli: The rival camps opted to display their cadre strength and tried to wrest some psychological advantage against each other in Maoist-affected Gadchiroli-Chimur parliamentary constituency as the curtains came down on the official campaign hours at 3 pm on Tuesday.
BJP MP Ashok Nete and his opponent Congress’s Dr Namdeo Usendi, a former MLA, both had taken out bike rallies along with their allies trying to dominate each other in the heart of the Gadchiroli town before winding up their campaign trails.

Nete was present in the rally during which his supporters also distributed pamphlets. Gadchiroli assembly constituency’s BJP MLA Dr Namdeo Holi too was also present. Young cheering crowds with saffron flags on bikes roared through the main roads before ending at the campaign office on Chamorshi.

Later, Nete is learnt to have joined BJP MLA Bunty Bhangdiya in his assembly constituency at Chimur in Chandrapur district. BJP and their allies had yet another bike rally at Chimur after which Nete and Bhangdiya, along with other senior leaders, addressed a meeting of the supporters. “The focus of the meetings and campaigns was to highlight the work of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nete in Gadchiroli,” said a party source.

Nete’s close aide said there was another senior leader in the district who had gone to south Gadchiroli’s different locations. “We are now gearing up for whole night door-to-door campaign across the constituency and again begin at 10 am on Wednesday,” he said.

Nete’s rival Dr Usendi skipped his party’s bike rally in town for number of smaller meetings at Amgaon, Devri, Salekasa and adjoining places in Gondia. “Many corner meetings were organized at different locations is Gondia district where Dr Usendi is learnt to have met his supporters and also visited a few party offices,” said sources close to Dr Usendi.

“We are now gearing up for silent and door-to-door campaigns to reach the maximum possible voters on the last day,” he said. “Tomorrow the entire Congress and it’s allies’ teams would be working round the clock in the field and continue till the last minute of voting. This time we have much brighter chance of winning the seat,” he said.