Antulay locked in triangular fight

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and septuagenarian Congress leader A R Antulay is locked in a triangular fight in this constituency in coastal Konkan, which has remained a bastion of PWP.

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and septuagenarian Congress leader A R Antulay is locked in a triangular fight in this constituency in coastal Konkan, which has traditionally remained a bastion of Peasants' and Workers' Party (PWP).

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Antulay is taking on two sitting legislators of the state assembly, Vivek Patil of PWP and Shyam Sawant of Shiv Sena-- --who represent Panvel and Srivardhan assembly segments respectively.

Sena has made inroads in the coastal Konkan but has failed to wrest this seat from the PWP. Though, the clout of PWP, once a dominant Opposition party in the state, has dwindled, it continues to wield influence in Raigad district.

So important is Raigad for PWP is that it pulled out of the DF government plunging the ruling coalition in a crisis in July 2001 after NCP ensured the defeat of a PWP nominee in the elections to chairpersonship of Raigad Zilla Parishad.

NCP has made it a prestige issue to wrest this seat from the PWP, with the party president and Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar taking keen interest in ensuring victory of his erstwhile strong baiter, Antulay.

While Pawar addressed two rallies in this constituency, NCP leader and Maharashtra Minister Sunil Tatkare is also keenly engaged in the electioneering. PWP had blamed Tatkare for its nominee's defeat in Zilla Parishad polls and forced him to step down as a minister. He was however, re-inducted later.