Big setback to MVA in Nagpur University graduate constituency polls

NAGPUR: For the second time in a row, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a defeat in Nagpur University’s graduate constituency polls on Wednesday. Earlier, it had lost Senate and Management Council elections to the saffron coalition in November last year.
Although half of results were yet to be out till filing of this report, the saffron coalition of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and Shikshan Manch stamped their authority in five seats reserved for the reserved category, as per NU officials.
ABVP’s Prathamesh Fulekar emerged winner from the Scheduled Caste category, Sunil Fudke and Dinesh Sheram from the Scheduled Tribes (ST), Waman Turke from Vimukt Jati (VJ) and Roshni Khelkar from the women.
The counting for open category was underway where saffron alliance candidates were ahead in comparison to MVA contestants. There was a tough fight among all candidates for this category and their results were likely to be out by 5am on Thursday.
“At least in three places, ABVP candidates are ahead of their rivals. We are going to win at least three seats out of five,” ABVP’s senior activist Kalyan Deshpande told TOI.
Officials said the preferential votes decided for winning the open seat seat was 2,043 and at the end of 15th round by 11pm, none of the candidates were able to reach that figure. Among them, Manish Wanjari was leading with 1,564 votes, followed by Vishnu Changde at 1,321 and Ajay Chavhan at 1,294 votes. All three belonged to the ABVP. Three-time senator Manmohan Bajpai from the MVA and one of the favourites was trailing behind them at 1,142 votes.
As per the officials, the MVA, whose candidates were associated with Congress and NCP and other smaller outfits, may win just two seats out of ten. Except Yuva Graduate Forum’s (YGF) Rahul Hanwate, other lesser-known parties like Parivartan Panel, Shikshak Bharti, Shiv Sena’s (UBT) youth wing Yuva Sena failed to make a mark this time.
Wanjari & Taywade’s strategies under scanner
NU officials said MLC Abhijit Wanjari, who heads the Secular Panel (SP) and senior Congress leader Baban Taywade, who runs the Young Teachers Association (YTA), would be under scanner for their strategies after suffering a second successive defeat in the university polls.
The same duo was credited for scripting the grand success of MVA candidate Sudhakar Adbale in the teachers’ constituency polls for Nagpur division on February 2. Under their leadership, Adbale crushed BJP-backed Nago Ganar and denied him a third straight term, despite the backing from top leaders like union minister Nitin Gadkair and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Even in the graduates’ constituency elections in 2020, Wanjari, with the help of Taywade, had comprehensively won the seat where BJP was never defeated for over five decades.
Bitter rivals till 2017 polls, Wanjari’s SP and Taywade’s YTA had joined hands in 2021 to take on the ABVP and Shikshan Manch. They were supported by Manmohan Bajpai’s Vidyapeeth Vidyarthi Sangram Parishad (VVSP) and other Ambedkarite outfits.