Straight fights at 5 places, triangular at 8 in Nagpur

Nagpur, Jan 17: There will be straight fights in five wards and triangular fights in eight others for the February 1 elections of the general body of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC).

According to the final list of candidates issued by the civic administration here today, there are five wards each with only two candidates, and eight others each with only three candidates left in the fray at the end of the nomination process.

An interesting fight is on the cards in ward number 83 (Dharampeth), where Vaijayanti Avinash Senad of the Congress is pitted against Manjusha Bangale of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The fight is interesting because Ms Senad belongs to a family known for its close association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and Ms Bangale is the wife of sitting Councillor from the area, Sanjay Bangale.

In ward number 55 (Lendi Talao), veteran Vithal Hedaoo of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Bhaskar Burde of the Shiv Sena are locked in a straight fight after the papers of Congress nominee Ishwar Ghoradkar were rejected during scrutiny, leaving no candidate from that party in the field.

Congress nominee Asha Chaudhari, daughter of prominent party leader Mukundrao Pannase, is locked in a straight fight with Usha Bohare of the BJP in ward number 110 (Pratap Nagar). Ms Bohare was an aspirant for the BJP ticket in 2002, but the party fielded Nanda Jichkar instead, who went on to win. Ms Jichkar has been denied a ticket this time.

The other straight fights are in ward number 36 (Tandapeth) between Madhuri Dhurve (Congress) and Pushpa Pathrabe (BJP), and in ward number 82 (Shankar Nagar) between Mulchand Baisware (Congress) and Vivek Tarase (BJP).

Among the triangular fights, the most interesting one is in ward number 87 (Deekshabhoomi). The BJP has fielded Chhaya Gade, the daughter of veteran party leader Sumatatai Sukalikar, against Seema Yerpude (Congress) and Kamala Mohota (NCP). Ms Mohota is a Congress rebel, having asked for the party ticket from two wards this time, and having lost when nominated by the party in 2002.

The highest number of candidates, 21, is in ward number eight (Nalanda Nagar), followed by 20 in ward number 75 (Chitnavispura) and 19 in ward number 47 (Telang Khedi).

The polls are being held from 135 of the total 136 wards in the city after the countermanding of the election in one ward (133 - New Subhedar) because of the death of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate Prakash Tiwari there.

UNI