Pankaja Munde-Palave, a business management graduate from Seton Hill University, New Jersey, is contesting against Congress candidate TP Munde,from the Marathwada hinterland of Parli.
The announcement of candidature of BJP general secretary Gopinath Munde's daughter Pankaja along with that of cousin Poonam Mahajan has met with severe criticism that BJP too is going the Congress way in following dynastic politics.
However, flak is the last thing on Pankaja's mind as she goes about campaigning for the October 13 Assembly poll from this constituency in Marathwada's hinterland.
Pankaja Munde-Palave, a business management graduate from Seton Hill University, New Jersey, is taking on Congress candidate TP Munde, a professor at the Baijnath college. A total of three members from the family of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan and brother-in-law Munde are contesting the elections on BJP tickets.
Mahajan's daughter Poonam is contesting from Ghatkopar in suburban Mumbai while Madhusudan Kendre, son-in-law of Munde's elder brother, is in fray from Gangakhed in Marathwada region.
Rubbishing allegations of nepotism, Munde said, "Pankaja has worked with me in Parli-Vaijnath for years. She knows the people there and they know her. Why should she not contest?"
The professor had unsuccessfully contested the last assembly elections from Renapur seat, which Gopinath had won five times. But post-delimitation, the constituency has ceased to exist. Half the 2.5 lakh voters in Parli are women, a factor likely to go in favour of Pankaja.
"This is the first time after over two decades that a prominent party has fielded a woman candidate and Pankaja, who has done grassroot work in the constituency, would attract women voters in large numbers," a local BJP functionary said.
The Congress-NCP combine does not have the kind of network Munde has in the constituency, which would help Pankaja sail through, the observers said.
Also in fray as an independent candidate from Parli, is Sushma Andhare, a professor belonging to the nomadic Kolhati community. "Babasaheb Ambedkar said a king should not be born to a king but he should emerge from the ballot box," she said.
However, the fact that she is not aware of who her real father is, as she was born into a Kolhati house, is in stark contrast to the clout surrounding father of her opponent.
Munde's nephew Dhananjay, an office bearer of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth outfit of BJP, was keen on contesting from Parli. Dhananjay was considered political heir of Munde, who has three daughters.
However, with Pankaja's entry the adage "blood is thicker.." was proved right as the nephew was forced to make way for the daughter. Contrary to the expectations of rival political parties, Dhananjay is involved in Pankaja's campaign.
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