The formation of alliance paved the way for NCP’s first-time corporator Vaishali Bankar to become the mayoral candidate. BJP Varsha Tapkir too has filed nomination.
After the dramatic turn of events at the official residence of Pune’s mayor and Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) headquarters over filing of nominations for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress finally succeeded in forging an alliance.
The formation of alliance paved the way for NCP’s first-time corporator Vaishali Bankar to become the mayoral candidate. Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Varsha Tapkir too has filed nomination. However, in the house of 152 seats, NCP has 52 corporators and Congress has 26 corporators.
Thus, the alliance has 78 seats. On the other hand, BJP has 26 seats, Shiv Sena (SS) has 15 seats and RPI has two seats. In short, the BJP-SS-RPI grand alliance has only 47 seats. Thus, the grand alliance will not get adequate numbers even if 29 corporators of MNS and independent Ashvini Kadam votes in their favour, unless there is rebellion in either NCP or Congress during the mayoral elections.
Three-term corporator Deepak Mankar of Congress, who has been acquitted in six of the 12 land grab cases filed against him, has filed his nomination for the post of deputy mayor as the official candidate of Congress. Mankar is considered close to MP Suresh Kalmadi. However, Mukari Shetty Algude, the three-time corporator of Congress, has rebelled against Mankar.
NCP has designated sitting leader of the party in the house Subhash Jagtap to continue to be the party leader in the house. Chetan Tupe has been named as his deputy.
The names of NCP nominees for the post of mayor and deputy mayor were expected to be announced on Thursday, but the decision was differed till today.
Initially it was said that the names of NCP nominees for the two posts will be announced in the afternoon after the party’s local leadership meeting at the mayor’s official residence.
Party leaders Vandana Chavan, mayor Mohansingh Rajpal, Appa Renuse, Datta Dhankawade, Nilesh Nikam and Ravindra Malvadkar met at the mayor’s official residence for ten minutes.
Later, Chavan announced that the meeting had been adjourned for another meeting at PMC headquarters after which the names will be announced.
After deliberating for about 45 minutes at the party office in PMC, Chavan announced that NCP had chosen Vaishali Bankar for the post of mayor. She also announced that Vishal Tambe would be the party’s nominee for the post of deputy mayor, if the alliance between NCP and Congress is not worked out till the deadline to file nominations ends.
Meanwhile, Algude had already filed his nomination for the post of deputy mayor at the office of municipal secretary.
After making the announcement, the NCP leaders accompanied Bankar to municipal secretary’s office where she filed her nomination. No Congress leader was present there then. Tambe did not file his nomination.
A short while later, local leaders of NCP and Congress returned to municipal secretary’s office with Bankar and Mankar. Mankar then filed his nomination.
Later, City Congress chief Abhay Chhajed said that the decision of filing Mankar’s nomination was taken after the local party leadership was instructed by the party leadership in Mumbai to file nomination for only the post of deputy mayor.
Chhajed expressed confidence of convincing Algude to withdraw his nomination. However, Algude told DNA, “I have toiled for the party and waited for long to get rewards. How more should I wait? I am here for the post and nobody can make me withdraw.”
Bankar said, “I’m grateful to Ajit Pawar for showing confidence in me and I’d not let him down. I will take all parties along with us to govern. My thrust would be on issues related to women like constructing toilets for women and empowering them.”
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