Teachers’ Constituency Polls: Shiv Sena (UBT) withdraws from fray after Congress ‘no’ to their candidate

Nagpur: The last day for withdrawal of nomination for teachers’ constituency elections turned dramatic for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) as the fissures came out in open in the three-party coalition even after the tall claims by their leaders that they were united.
As reported by TOI, a faction of upset Congress leaders from the region forced their high command to convince Shiv Sena (UBT) to withdraw their candidate Gangadhar Nakade, just seven minutes before the deadline. He received a call from Maharashtra Rajya Shikshak Sena (MRSS) chief JM Abhyankar. He rushed from his Jagnade home to the divisional commissioner’s office in Civil Lines to complete the formalities, as per his party leaders.
On other hand, NCP’s rebel candidate Satish Itkelwar refused to take back his nomination, forcing the party to expel him for not towing the party lines. He became incommunicado on Monday after agreeing to toe the party line earlier after which city president Duneshwar Pethe ousted him.
The poll analysts termed the entire melodrama as a repeat of local self-government elections held in December 2021, where Congress candidate Ravindra alias Chotu Bhoyar, a BJP turncoat, pulled out just 24 hours before the nomination withdrawal deadline, ensuring the landslide win for BJP president Chandraskhekar Bawankule.
Congress leaders told TOI that the party had decided to support Sudhakar Adbale from Vidarbha Madhyamik Shikshan Mahasangh, which was close to the grand old party. MPCC chief Nana Patole however told TOI that all three parties — Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena — would officially communicate the MVA’s stand in the next couple of days.
The Congress was trying its best to convince Rajendra Zade, to whom it had extended support in the 2017 elections, to take a backseat to prevent division of votes, which would benefit BJP backed Nago Ganar. However, another faction from the party was in favour of Zade who was from MLC Kapil Patil’s Shikshak Bharti.
According to them, Patil had extended help to the Congress during graduates’ constituency polls in the Nagpur division, which was won by Abhijit Wanjari and that time the party had promised to support Shikshak Bharti in the teachers constituency polls.
Nakade's withdrawal came just three days after NCP state president Jayant Patil had announced him as MVA’s official candidate. The Sena faction had also provided an AB Form to him.