NCP bigwigs keep their PCMC wards

Elections to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) are due in February 2012. The PCMC,which had 105 wards in the 2007 election will,on the basis of latest census figures,now elect 128 corporators from 64 two-member panels.

The draw of lots and declaration of boundaries of the two-member wards (called ‘panels’) took place at the Ramkrishna More auditorium,in the presence of State Election Commissioner Neela Satyanarayanan,EC secretary Chand Goel,Municipal Commissioner Asheesh Sharma and Additional Municipal Commissioner Prakash Kadam. The venue was packed to capacity with sitting corporators,poll aspirants and their supporters.

As the draw of lots progressed,the good news kept coming for the leaders of the NCP,which has a brute majority in the PCMC. Mayor Yogesh Behl,a close aide of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar,got the opportunity to contest from Sant Tukaram Nagar for the fifth time. “I have been lucky to get another chance to serve the people,” he said.

Former mayor Mangala Kadam,who was hand-picked by NCP chief Sharad Pawar to contest the last Assembly elections,will get a third chance to contest from Sambhajinagar. RS Kumar,PCMC’s longest serving corporator,will enter battle for the sixth consecutive time in Pradhikaran (Bhakti-Shakti panel).

Standing Committee chairperson Suman Pawle,an NCP corporator from Nigdi,and former mayor Aparna Doke,NCP corporator from Chinchwadgaon,have retained their wards. In Sangvi,NCP corporator Prashant Shitole,a former Standing Committee chairman,will be in the fray again.

The party’s enfant terrible Javed Shaikh,who was elected unopposed in the last election,will contest again from Duttwadi ward. “No unopposed poll for me… I will let voters decide my fate,” Shaikh said. The NCP’s biggest casualty are brothers Jagdish and Ulhas Shetty,whose wards in Akurdi and Kalbhornagar have been reserved for an open category female and an OBC male candidate.

Independent corporator Maruti Bhapkar,an Anna Hazare associate who has been organising relay hunger strikes in Pimpri-Chinchwad in support of Hazare’s agitation,has been ousted from Mohannagar. “I won’t fight from any other ward. I will be at the beck and call of distressed citizens,” Bhapkar said.

From the Congress,Amar Mulchandani,who has won four times from Pimpri,will be in the fray again. His ward has been merged with that of Deputy Mayor Dabbu Aswani,throwing up the possibility of a face-off between them. “Let there be anyone,Amar remains immortal in the poll field,” said Mulchandani,who is referred to as the ‘permanent’ member of the Standing Committee. Congress corporator Hanumant Bhosale (Nehrunagar),will be in the ring for the sixth consecutive time.

Pimpri-Chinchwad Congress chief Bhausaheb Bhoir has suffered a setback — both Dalvinagar and Bijlinagar,from where he has been elected earlier,have been reserved. “But he has the chance of contesting from Keshavnagar,” said Congress corporator Babu Nair.

Shiv Sena’s Balajinagar corporator Seema Savle and BJP’s Varsha Medigiri,who had cornered the NCP on several issues,find themselves evicted from their panels. And does the BJP’s Asha Landge from Bhosari.

Shiv Sena leader Appa Barne,who lost Thergaon ward,said he would contest from the neighbouring ward. Sena corporator Sulbha Ubale retained her Yamunanagar ward.