Nagpur/Amravati/Yavatmal/Akola: The fight for Ramtek assembly seat is getting interesting by the day as now two Congressmen are planning to contest as independents, after Shiv Sena (UBT) got the seat within MVA. Former MoS Rajendra Mulak is almost certain to file nomination on Tuesday even as fellow Congressman Chandrapal Chouksey too has decided to give it a shot.
The Congress party is unhappy with the Shiv Sena (UBT) for not ceding the seat to them.
While Mulak did not respond to calls, Congress leader Rashmi Barve confirmed the development. Barve, whose husband Shyam is the Congress Ramtek MP, said, "On Tuesday, Mulak saheb will file his papers as independent. With support from our leader Sunil Kedar, we are confident of victory here. Sitting MLA Ashish Jaiswal has failed to bring real change at the ground level and people have also understood that the Mahayuti govt is making false promises to get votes."
But with a second Congressman, Chouksey, in fray, the party has to take care of votes getting cut. Barve said, "We will talk it out amongst ourselves, since everybody belongs to Congress."
Meanwhile, Chouksey said he won't back down. Speaking to TOI, Chouksey said, "I was born in Ramtek, this is both my janambhoomi and karm-bhoomi. Why should I withdraw when it would be easier for me to contest and Mulak to withdraw." Chouksey had contested unsuccesfully from Ramtek in 2004 on a Congress ticket.
Rebellions have been a common theme across both Mahayuti and MVA in the run-up to assembly elections, as those denied official tickets are fighting as independents.
In Nagpur district, Congress loyalist and former minister Anees Ahmed is the biggest name to switch parties. Similarly, party ex-corporator Tanaji Vanwe filed nomination as an independent from Nagpur East. With Mahayuti yet to decide on the Umred seat, more rebel candidates are expected.
Apart from rebellions, ‘friendly fights' are also on the radar of party bosses, as they eat into votes. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Monday, at Chikli (Buldhana), such friendly fights might happen in a few places. But Fadnavis reassured voters efforts are underway to resolve intra-alliance disputes.
AMRAVATI
Nominations were filed by rebel candidates Preeti Band from Badnera (Shiv Sena), Ramesh Bundile from Daryapur (BJP), and independent candidate Nitin Kadam from Badnera, as the party decisions were not to everyone's satisfaction. Late in the evening, BJP veteran and former minister Jagdish Gupta announced his decision to contest from Amravati assembly constituency as an independent candidate, claiming the local BJP unit is not competent enough to provide justice to party workers.
Similarly, BJP's Tushar Bhartiya is expected to file nomination as an independent from Badnera, after the seat went to sitting MLA Ravi Rana.
In Morshi, a ‘friendly fight' seems to be on the cards between Mahayuti allies — sitting MLA Devendra Bhuyar of NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) and BJP's Umesh Yawalkar, showcasing the alliance's effort to maintain harmony despite conflicting candidates.
WASHIM
In Washim's Risod Assembly constituency, former minister Anantrao Deshmukh formally submitted his candidacy as the BJP nominee, even though ally Shiv Sena (Shinde) has fielded veteran Bhavana Gawali from the same constituency. This high voltage fight, considering the stature of candidates involved, will be an interesting one but may end up harming Mahayuti's chances.
YAVATMAL
Former MLA Sandeep Bajoria, a close ally of Sharad Pawar, filed his nomination independently after failing to secure the MVA ticket, which was awarded to the Congress instead. Bajoria's decision to enter the race as both an independent and under the NCP (Sharad) symbol has stirred uncertainty within the alliance, leaving MVA leaders to assess its potential impact on their candidate's chances.
Bajoria's candidacy, driven by frustration over internal ticket allocations, has ignited speculation about how the alliance leadership will address the situation. A similar wave of independent filings is visible in Arni, where the seat has gone to BJP, leading to discontent among ally Shiv Sena (Shinde). Now Vishnu Ukende, deputy district chief of the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) will enter the fray as an independent candidate thus raising concerns about a potential split in Mahayuti's vote base.
With Tuesday being the last day for filing nominations, more rebel candidates as well as friendly fights are likely to emerge across Vidarbha.