Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: There is a strong possibility that the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) elections will be held in the new year.
Aspirants from almost all political parties have started campaigning, but all the aspirants from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are visiting voters together in the Prabhags. Fearing rebellion, the BJP has come up with a unique formula of campaigning together.
There are 25 to 30 aspirants in each Prabhag. They are all going to the voters together. BJP city president Kishor Shitole has introduced this unique campaign formula.
During the Assembly elections in the Phulambri Constituency, Shitole, along with APMC chairman Radhakisan Pathade, former mayor Bhagwan Ghadmode, Suhas Shirsat and a dozen other aspirants, were expecting to get the assembly ticket last year.
Until the candidature was finalised, Shitole and all the other candidates attended all public programmes together and also met the voters.
Anuradha Chavan won the race for the candidature and became an MLA. Since all the aspirants were together, there was no rebellion, and Shitole has brought the same formula to the municipal elections.
Box
City President's advice to the aspirants
There are 10 to 20 aspirants in a single Prabhag, and they should all campaign together and meet the voters. They should vote only for the person who gets the party's nomination. In campaigning, all the BJP aspirant candidates should campaign together. Following the city president's instructions, the aspirant candidates are going to meet the voters together. When going to the voters, there is unity among the aspirants, and no one is speaking against anyone else. City President Shitole claimed that the campaign is being conducted in a friendly and harmonious manner.
Box
More aspirants in 18 Prabhags
The BJP's core committee is apprehensive due to the increased number of aspirant candidates. Nearly 1400 aspirants have taken application forms. Some aspirants have collected application forms from four to five Prabhag. Furthermore, the BJP has a surplus of aspirants in only 18 Prabhags.
In the remaining 11 Prabhags, they have virtually no candidates. Similarly, the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena also has a large number of aspirants seeking nominations in only 18 wards.
During the Prabhag-wise negotiations within the Mahayuti, which includes the BJP, the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), the RPI (Athawale faction), and the Shinde faction of Shiv Sena, the main tussle will be concentrated in the 18 Prabhags.