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Battle lines drawn: Its Rasane vs Dhangekar in Kasba Peth bypolls
Both Congress nominee Ravindra Dhangekar and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee Hemant Rasane filed their nomination papers for the February 26 Kasba peth bypolls on Monday
Both Congress nominee Ravindra Dhangekar and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee Hemant Rasane filed their nomination papers for the February 26 Kasba peth bypolls on Monday.
Soon after the Congress announced Dhangekar’s name as its candidate, nomination papers were filed on Monday a day before the stipulated day to file nomination papers. State-level leaders Nana Patole, Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan and Sushil Kumar Shinde were present on the occasion. Earlier, Patole had criticised the BJP saying, “The party did not give ticket to the family member/s of late Mukta Tilak. The party gave ticket to family members in Chinchwad but not in Pune.”
Dhangekar, a two-time corporator, had unsuccessfully contested assembly polls from Kasba Peth twice before. He started his political career with the Shiv Sena and later shifted to the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) before joining the Congress.
Immediately after his candidature was announced by the party, Dhangekar visited Tilak wada and met late Mukta Tilak’s family members. “The BJP failed to give justice to the Tilak family but the Congress will complete the remaining works of late Mukta Tilak. I will fulfil her dream,” he said. Asked if Brahmins are unhappy over the BJP denying ticket to Tilak’s family, Dhangekar said, “I have never indulged in caste politics and will not comment on it.”
BJP candidate Rasane too filed his nomination papers on Monday, with BJP state unit head Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Pune district guardian minister Chandrakant Patil present on the occasion.
In a rejoinder to Dhangekar’s remarks, Bawankule said, “We are ready to change the candidate and will give ticket to late Mukta Tilak’s family but before that, the Maha Vikas Agadhi (MVA) should come forward and promise unopposed elections.”
Meanwhile, unidentified persons put up hoardings across the city saying that the BJP is ignoring Brahmins, a community which has stood solidly behind the party for the longest time. Earlier in 2019, the BJP had denied a ticket to Medha Kulkarni and once again, the party is fielding a non-Brahmin candidate in Rasne. Whereas Kasba peth has been represented by a Brahmin candidate for the last over 40 years.
Asked about the same, Bawankule said, “It is not like that. The BJP gives opportunity to all.”
