Filing of nomination papers for the Maharashtra Assembly elections over, it is time for the voters to do a check on who is contesting from where — and on which party ticket. With all major parties having kept their ideologies aside to accommodate new candidates, a confusing picture has prevailed over the past few days. More than 100 aspirants have rebelled against their parties, filing nominations either as Independents or as candidates of other parties. Although the aspirants exchanged places in all major political parties like the Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena, BJP and MNS, the biggest gainer appears to be the BJP. The biggest loser appears to be the Congress, which could not attract as many candidates from other parties. The BJP has been able to “poach” candidates from all the major parties, in what seems to be a desperate bid to capture power in alliance with smaller parties like the Swabhimani Paksh, Rashtriya Samaj Paksh, Shiv Sangram and Republican Party of Indian. On its home turf of Thane, the Shiv Sena lost its deputy leader Anant Tare, who filed his nomination on a BJP ticket from Kopri-Pachpakhadi against Sena’s district coordinator Eknath Shinde. Tare, who had been eyeing the Sena ticket from Thane, was dumped by the party which picked Ravindra Phatak, who had walked over to Sena from the Congress recently. “There is no room for loyalists in the party,” Tare said, bidding goodbye to the Sena. In Mumbai, the Sena suffered a blow as its former mayor Shubha Raul, filed nomination from Dahisar on MNS ticket. In Panvel, sitting MLA Prashant Thakur, who resigned from Congress on Kharghar toll plaza issue, also filed his nomination on BJP ticket. In Konkan, Rajan Teli, a former MLA who had switched over to NCP from Congress recently, moved to the BJP, which fielded him from Sawantwadi seat. In Ahmednagar, former MP Bhausaheb Waghchoure, who had switched to Congress from Sena during the Lok Sabha elections, also joined the BJP which fielded him. In Chandrapur district’s Warora seat, four-time MLA Sanjay Deotale, who was denied ticket by the Congress in favour of his sister-in-law, filed nomination on BJP ticket. In Karanja seat of Washim district, Sena MLA Rajendra Patil too preferred to fight on BJP ticket. The scene in Pune was no different. In Chinchwad, sitting MLA Laxman Jagtap, who was considered close to the Deputy CM and holds upper hand in Pimpri-Chinchwad civic body, made his way to the BJP. In Junnar, Netaji Doke of Shiv Sena turned up with thousands of Sainiks and filed nomination on a BJP ticket. In Purandar, MNS Pune district chief Baba Raje Jadhav opted out of the race after his sister-in-law Sangeeta Raje Nimbalkar was nominated by the BJP. In Bhosari, the Sena preferred its long-time corporator Sulbha Ubale although sitting MLA Vilas Lande and top NCP leader Mahesh Landge were seeking the party ticket. Other than the BJP, the Shiv Sena and NCP also succeeded in ‘importing’ candidates from other parties. Minister and Ratnagiri MLA Uday Samant was Sena’s biggest gain as he dumped the NCP. In Latur, Congress general secretary Basavraj Patil Nagralkar joined NCP which fielded him from Nilanga. Congress’s Latur district vice-president Rajeshwar Booke was fielded by NCP from Ausa. In Nagpur South, NCP brought in Congress MLA Dinanath Padale. The Congress was also jolted in Satara district as its seven-time MLA Vilas Patil-Undalkar resigned and filed nomination as an Independent against Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan. State Congress spokesperson Anant Gadgil said, “BJP holds chintan bhaithaks and what not to propound its ideology. And now look what it is doing. poaching candidates. It clearly reflects that not party loyalty, something else matters to BJP.” BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari justified fielding turncoats. “There was a lot of incoming to our party. we had put them on hold. After the alliance broke up, the opportunity automatically opened up for them.”
