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Poll heat settles amid rains, wait begins for tomorrow
Incessant rainfall in city forces contestants to go for subdued campaigning
The high-pitched campaign for Maharashtra assembly polls came to an end on Saturday amid heavy rains.
For the 246 candidates contesting polls from 21 assembly constituencies of Pune district, Saturday was the last day of campaigning when most of them made utmost efforts to reach out to electorate through rallies, roadshows and door-to-door campaigns.
The city received rainfall throughout the day forcing various contestants to go for subdued campaigning in the last five hours. The 21 assembly segments, including eight from Pune city and three from Pimpri-Chinchwad, will go to polls on Monday. The counting will take place on October 24.
Campaigning heat in the city during a fortnight-long canvasing picked up only this week as leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray held rallies. From Congress, no national leader was seen participating in the campaign in the city or the district. From the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), its president Sharad Pawar and other senior leaders such as Ajit Pawar campaigned for candidates.
In Pune, as per the 2014 polls, BJP represents 12 segments, Shiv Sena 3, Congress 1, NCP 3 and others 2. It was for the first time BJP saw 100 per cent representation in the city.
Many contestants changed their strategy and focused on a door-to-door campaign to reach smaller pockets in their respective constituencies. In a show of strength, NCP candidate from Khadakwasla Sachin Dodke and Ashvini Kadam from Parvati held bike rallies.
BJP state unit chief Chandrakant Patil, who is contesting from Kothrud, also held a bike rally on the last day besides meeting various groups and communities to garner their support. During the campaign, Patil was dubbed “outsider” contesting polls from Pune.
On a personal attack on him, Patil said, “I have been criticised personally, but this is not the tradition and culture of Kothrud and Pune. I will respond to the criticism through my work.”
In the city, maximum numbers of candidates are from Pune cantonment constituency which is witnessing a contest between 28 candidates. The main contest here is between Sunil Kamble of BJP and Ramesh Bagwe of Congress.
While Shiv Sena is contesting polls as BJP’s ally, the former did not get any seat to fight polls as per seat-sharing arrangements, forcing rebellion.
