Pune polls: Exodus worries Congress in Pimpri-Chinchwad

With civic elections just around the corner, the exodus of senior leaders from the party is worrying the Congress in Pimpri-Chinchwad.

The dismantling of the party started when the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) decided to go alone. Many feel that the death of party president, Ramkrishna More, who had shaped the Congress in the twin township, was also the one of the reasons for so many leaders to quit the party.

In fact, the party is receiving one jolt after the other. As many as five sitting corporators from the party, Rajendra Kate, opposition party leader Machindra Tapkir, former corporator Sujeet Patil and Kisan Netake joined the NCP in the presence of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday at a function in Pimpri.

This happened despite the fact that the Congress had declared Kate’s name for the polls. Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation mayor Yogesh Behl told reporters that the other Congress sitting corporator Sunny Oval’s wife, Rama Oval, also joined the NCP though the party had offered her the ticket.

There are rumours that Amar Mulchandani, who was a four-time Pimpri corporator, too will quit. If it happens, it will be a major blow for party.

Other sitting corporators from the party, Yashwant Bhosale, Santosh Barne and Shashikiran Gawali have also left the party and hinted that they would be joining the NCP. However, observer of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, Sharad Aher, has said that these corporators did not leave, but were expelled from party three months ago.

It is also notable that two years ago, in-fighting within the party had forced Theargaon sitting corporator Shrinag Barne to quit and join the Shiv Sena.

The mass exodus is bothering the party so much that it is being forced to give tickets to members from the same family. Sitting corporator from Kiwale, Tukaram Bhondve, and his wife, Sunita, have managed to bag Congress tickets.

However, the party’s unit president Bhau Saheb Bhoir in Pimpri-Chinchwad is hopeful of a good show and feels that rebellion within the NCP will benefit the Congress.