NCP’s Itkelwar files nomination as independent, Cong yet to clear stand
Nagpur: Confusion prevailed among the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituents on Thursday after NCP’s Suresh Itkelwar filed his nomination as an independent on the last day of the teachers’ constituency polls scheduled on January 30.
On Wednesday, NCP state president Jayant Patil had declared that the three-party coalition will fight the polls together in the state and leave the Nagpur seat for Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Gangadhar Nakade from the Shikshak Sena. NCP did not provide Itkelwar the AB form and he filed nomination as an independent, as per the MVA netas.
In all, 27 candidates have filed 43 nomination forms at the divisional commissioner’s office before the deadline.
The drama on the last day has left MVA with four candidates in fray as of now. besides Nakade and Itkelwar, there is Shikshak Bharti’s Rajendra Zade who was supported by Congress in 2017 polls and Sudhakar Adbale from Vidarbha Madhyamik Shikshan Mahasangh who is also expecting Congress support.
Even Congress is yet to clear its stand.Without its help, none of the four candidates can put up even a semblance of a fight against BJP-backed Maharashtra Rajya Shikshak Parishad (MRSP) candidate Nago Ganar, who is all set for a hat-trick of wins.
Poll analysts said rebellion by the NCP neta would prove detrimental to all three MVA constituents – Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena. It would indirectly help Ganar as there would be further splitting of votes.
The polls would witness a multi-pronged fight after Aam Admi Party’s (AAP) city convenor Devendra Wankhede too jumped into the fray and filed his nomination form.AAP would make its debut in the polls.Even BSP has announced support to Nima Moharkar-Rangari as the Mayawati-led party had been preparing for it for a long time.
# Major players in fray for teachers’ constituency polls
* Nago Ganar | MRSP, supported by BJP
* Gangadhar Nakade | Shikshak Sena, supported by Shiv Sena (UBT)
* Rajendra Zade | Shikshak Bharti, supported by Cong in 2017 polls
* Sudhakar Adbale | VMSM, expecting Cong support
* Devendra Wankhede | Aam Admi Party making its debut
Box
Ganar for old pension scheme for teachers
While filing his nomination form, Ganar wore a cap which had a message of ‘old pension scheme’ on it.
Many BJP netas like former mayors Anil Sole and Sandip Joshi accompanied him.“I am demanding implementation of an old pension scheme for the last 12 years for the teachers.Ours was a genuine demand and as per the law.The then Congress government had stopped it through a GR of October 31, 2005, and again in 2010,” he told TOI.
His stand is in contrast to what deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced in the assembly on December 21 that the old pension scheme would not be reintroduced at any cost as it would lead to Rs1.10 lakh crore burden on the exchequer.
Reacting to Ganar’s stand, BJP city chief Pravin Datke told TOI that Fadnavis had stated that only genuine cases would be considered for the old scheme and if teachers fit into it as per rules and regulations, they may get it. “There is no difference of opinion between BJP and Ganar,” he said.
On Wednesday, NCP state president Jayant Patil had declared that the three-party coalition will fight the polls together in the state and leave the Nagpur seat for Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Gangadhar Nakade from the Shikshak Sena. NCP did not provide Itkelwar the AB form and he filed nomination as an independent, as per the MVA netas.
In all, 27 candidates have filed 43 nomination forms at the divisional commissioner’s office before the deadline.
The drama on the last day has left MVA with four candidates in fray as of now. besides Nakade and Itkelwar, there is Shikshak Bharti’s Rajendra Zade who was supported by Congress in 2017 polls and Sudhakar Adbale from Vidarbha Madhyamik Shikshan Mahasangh who is also expecting Congress support.
Even Congress is yet to clear its stand.Without its help, none of the four candidates can put up even a semblance of a fight against BJP-backed Maharashtra Rajya Shikshak Parishad (MRSP) candidate Nago Ganar, who is all set for a hat-trick of wins.
Poll analysts said rebellion by the NCP neta would prove detrimental to all three MVA constituents – Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena. It would indirectly help Ganar as there would be further splitting of votes.
The polls would witness a multi-pronged fight after Aam Admi Party’s (AAP) city convenor Devendra Wankhede too jumped into the fray and filed his nomination form.AAP would make its debut in the polls.Even BSP has announced support to Nima Moharkar-Rangari as the Mayawati-led party had been preparing for it for a long time.
# Major players in fray for teachers’ constituency polls
* Nago Ganar | MRSP, supported by BJP
* Gangadhar Nakade | Shikshak Sena, supported by Shiv Sena (UBT)
* Rajendra Zade | Shikshak Bharti, supported by Cong in 2017 polls
* Sudhakar Adbale | VMSM, expecting Cong support
* Devendra Wankhede | Aam Admi Party making its debut
Box
Ganar for old pension scheme for teachers
While filing his nomination form, Ganar wore a cap which had a message of ‘old pension scheme’ on it.
His stand is in contrast to what deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced in the assembly on December 21 that the old pension scheme would not be reintroduced at any cost as it would lead to Rs1.10 lakh crore burden on the exchequer.
Reacting to Ganar’s stand, BJP city chief Pravin Datke told TOI that Fadnavis had stated that only genuine cases would be considered for the old scheme and if teachers fit into it as per rules and regulations, they may get it. “There is no difference of opinion between BJP and Ganar,” he said.
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