41 candidates withdraw from ERO 3

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

On the final day for withdrawal of nominations, 41 candidates from election returning office (ERO) No 3 withdrew from the municipal corporation election race. The persuasion efforts carried out by party leaders, office-bearers, and key candidates, aimed at pacifying rebel and independent candidates from the night of January 1 till early morning, finally bore fruit in the last hours on Friday afternoon. As a result, 91 candidates remain in the electoral fray in this jurisdiction.

At ERO 3, located in the district collectorate campus, nomination papers had been filed by hundreds of candidates. Before the deadline, the withdrawal of MIM candidate Parveen Qaisar Khan from the election race due to family reasons was a surprising development. This office was expected to witness the highest tension, but the entire process concluded peacefully. Some candidates were brought in to withdraw their nominations, while others came on their own. All were seen withdrawing their nominations according to their respective positions and circumstances. ERO 3 includes Prabhags No. 6, 12, 13, and 14, where independent candidates were in the majority. The ERO Venkat Rathod, tehsildar Shivanand Bidve, and additional tehsildar Umesh Patil supervised the proceedings.

The final hour turned hectic…

By 2 pm, 11 independent candidates had withdrawn their nominations. Among these, the withdrawal of an MIM candidate despite holding a ‘B’ form became a major topic of discussion. In the final hour, 21 more candidates withdrew. Across the ERO’s office premises, candidates from major political parties were seen surrounding independent candidates in groups. Some were also seen making phone calls, asking questions like, “Have you brought them along?” and “Has everything been adjusted?”

At hotels located more than 100 meters away from the office, many candidates took the “final word” before stepping towards the office to withdraw their nominations.