Teachers’ constituency polls: 1 MVA candidate may withdraw nomination

Nagpur: Amid confusion in Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) over the choice of candidate for teachers’ constituency polls from the Nagpur division, its netas said that one of the two candidates from their camp would withdraw nomination. Four candidates in the fray are claiming to have support of MVA, as reported by TOI on Friday.
According to MVA netas, deliberations were held on Friday, where constituents of the three-party alliance — Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena (UBT) — decided that none of them will support any rebel candidate in Nagpur or in Nashik where Congress’s Satyajit Tambe is contesting as an Independent and may be backed by BJP.
Stung by Tambe’s rebellion, it was also decided to initiate stern action against the rebels, including expulsion, if they do not toe the party line.
Most probably, Satish Itkelwar would be asked to withdraw his candidature as he was not provided AB form by NCP here but he filed his nomination as an Independent.
Congress netas are disappointed with MPCC president Nana Patole’s move to leave the seat to Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Gangadhar Nakade even as Vidarbha has traditionally been a Congress bastion while Sena hardly had any presence here. Even in 2017 polls, Maharashtra Rajya Shikshak Sena (MRSS), which is associated with Shiv Sena, had fared very poorly, said the MVA netas.
Patole, who was touring Lakhandur in Bhandara, could not be contacted. However, he had told TOI a couple of days back that Congress would clarify its stand on supporting any candidate before the last date of withdrawal, which is January 16.
In all, 27 teachers have filed 43 nominations from the Nagpur division comprising six districts and none of them was found ineligible.
As per the Sena (UBT) netas, Nakade’s name was finalized long back by MRSS president JM Abhyankar, who had declared that they would also contest Amravati graduates’ constituency polls. No one believed them that time, as Sena hardly had any base in Vidarbha. On Thursday, MVA declared him as the official candidate.
Expressing confidence in Nakade’s nomination, MVA netas said in the last five years he has visited schools in many villages across the region to discuss problems of teachers and to garner support.
Even Shikshak Bharti’s Rajendra Zade, who had lost by 4,840 votes to BJP-backed Maharashtra Rajya Shikshak Parishad candidate Nago Ganar in 2017, tried to get Congress support and met many top leaders, including Patole. However, due to compulsion of coalition politics, Congress had to decline his proposal.
In Amravati division graduates constituency, where 34 candidates had filed papers, only independent candidate Gajanan Nehare’s nomination was declared invalid by divisional commissioner Dilip Pandharpatte, who is also the returning officer. Nehare’s age was found below 30 years, making him ineligible to contest the polls.