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2019 polls: Pune babus aspiring to enter Maharashtra politics
The BJP has officially declined to comment on Mulay’s possible candidature
Dnyaneshwar Mulay, a secretary in the external affairs ministry; former IAS officer Prabhakar Deshmukh and former Pune police commissioner Gulabrao Pol are among the serving and retired bureaucrats who are likely to make a political debut in the upcoming Lok Sabha (April/May) and Maharashtra assembly elections (September) in 2019.
There have been enough signals coming from the diplomat about his keenness to contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Hatkanagle constituency in Kolhapur on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket. While not denying the possibility, Mulay, a native of Kolhapur district, has said that he will announce his decision once he retires from the service.
“I always feel good people should come into politics. As far as I am concerned, I will announce my plans once I retire from the government service,” Mulay, who is scheduled to retire in December, said during a Pune visit in recent months. The BJP has officially declined to comment on Mulay’s possible candidature.
In April, Mulay was in Pune to have his book released by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat where many BJP leaders were also present. In the past six to eight months, Mulay has made multiple visits to Pune and other towns in western Maharashtra.
Former IAS officer Prabhakar Deshmukh who served as Maharashtra’s agriculture commissioner and Pune divisional commissioner is another front-ranking name in political circles. Deshmukh is keen to contest the elections from Madha Lok Sabha constituency which was won by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar in the 2009 polls.
A native of Maan taluka which falls in the Madha Lok Sabha constituency, Deshmukh had done remarkable work in watershed development and the Sant Gadgebaba Gram Swachhata Abhiyaan. He was considered one of Pawar’s trustworthy, blue-eyed officers and his desire to contest as an NCP candidate from Madha does not come as a surprise.
Often seen at NCP events, Deshmukh said, “I have started work on ground in Madha constituency and have sought a ticket from the NCP.” When asked about the candidature, NCP spokesperson Ankush Kakade did not name Deshmukh, but said, “Some more serving and retired bureaucrats are in touch with political parties.”
He mentioned former Pune police commissioner Gulabrao Pol, who, he said, had sought a ticket from the Congress and the NCP in 2014, but was denied.
“I had shown interest in politics last time, but am now enjoying my retired life in Kolhapur. I have not taken any decision about contesting the polls now,” Pol said when asked about his plans for the next general elections.
Pol, as Pune police commissioner, was known for his efficiency, but had failed to control chain snatching cases. His actions sparked a controversy when it became known that he had resorted to black magic and ‘planchet’ to connect with spirits and trace the killers of anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar. Pol had sought a ticket in the 2014 elections to contest from the Kolhapur constituency.
Ex- bureaucrats who contested in the past
Former Pune and Mumbai police commissioner Satya Pal Singh and former IAS officer Shriniwas Patil are among the ex-bureaucrats who have succeeded in entering politics.
While Singh won the Baghpat Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh against former civil aviation minister Ajit Singh; Patil, who is currently Sikkim’s governor, was elected successively to the 13th and 14th Lok Sabhas in 1999 and 2004 as a NCP candidate. Patil had served as the Pune district collector and enjoyed the trust of Sharad Pawar.
Former IAS officer and then chief minister Manohar Joshi’s principal secretary Avinash Dharmadhikari and former Pune municipal commissioner Arun Bhatia have unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha election from Pune.
Known for his no-nonsense, anti-corruption crusades as an IAS officer, who had suffered many transfers in his career, Bhatia was immensely popular with the middle class. However, he failed to convert this popularity into votes and unsuccessfully contested the 2004 and 2009 Lok Sabha elections.
