Parties scramble to rein in rebels ahead of nomination withdrawal deadline

With nomination form withdrawal deadline ending Friday, political parties spent Thursday reaching out to rebel candidates urging them to withdraw to avoid damaging official prospects in civic polls

Pune: With the deadline for withdrawal of nomination forms ending today, political parties across the spectrum spent Thursday reaching out to rebel candidates from their own ranks, urging them to withdraw from the fray to avoid damaging official prospects in the upcoming civic polls.

With nomination form withdrawal deadline ending Friday, political parties spent Thursday reaching out to rebel candidates urging them to withdraw to avoid damaging official prospects in civic polls. ((PIC FOR REPRESENTATION))

Leaders said the surge in rebel candidates was largely triggered by delays in announcing official candidate lists and uncertainty over alliances, prompting many aspirants to file nominations as a precaution. Rebels from almost all major parties have entered the contest in several wards, complicating seat-sharing arrangements and threatening to split votes.

Party insiders said that instead of first releasing formal candidate lists, several parties focused on internal negotiations, telephone outreach and the distribution of AB forms to authorised candidates, amid fears that disgruntled aspirants could cross over to rival parties. However, the delay led many hopefuls to go ahead and submit nomination papers to keep their options open.

The situation has been particularly tense within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena, where alliance talks have dragged on. Shiv Sena has already issued AB forms to candidates in at least 45 wards, and several of these nominees are now unwilling to withdraw, even as negotiations with the BJP continue.

BJP leader Ganesh Bidkar said the party was confident of resolving the issue before the deadline. “We are convincing our party candidates to withdraw their nomination forms. The last date for withdrawal is Friday, and we are hopeful of a positive response. There is heavy competition for several seats, but once a decision is taken by senior leaders, party workers are expected to abide by it. We will convince all rebel candidates,” Bidkar said.

Congress leader Arvind Shinde said the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance had faced relatively fewer complications, but coordination efforts were still underway. “There is less confusion within the MVA, but wherever required, we are holding discussions with our candidates and alliance partners to ensure withdrawals and collective campaigning for the official candidates,” he said.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sunil Tingre acknowledged that the party was dealing with multiple nominations in some wards. “In a few places, more than one candidate from our party has filed nomination forms. We are in talks with them and expect withdrawals in the interest of the party,” Tingre said.

Election officials said the final list of contesting candidates would be known only after the withdrawal deadline, with parties racing against time to minimise internal dissent and present a united front on polling day.