Even after a round of discussions between key Pune leaders and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the alliance and candidate selection issues remain unresolved, leading to another meeting scheduled for today, Wednesday, in Mumbai.
The BJP has a large number of aspirants. In particular, the aspirants from the Kothrud, Shivajinagar, Kasba, Pune Cantonment, and Khadakwasla assembly constituencies have given sleepless nights to the city BJP leaders. There are many aspirants in Kothrud, and leaders are finding it difficult to manage them. At the same time, 'incomings' have started in Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Some local BJP leaders from Pimpri-Chinchwad have joined the NCP, and a similar trend is expected in Pune.
There are discussions that a meeting of prominent Pune leaders has been organised today, Wednesday, at Chief Minister Fadnavis's residence in Mumbai. Earlier, a meeting was held at his residence in Nagpur with Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Muralidhar Mohol and Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil. While there is not much clarity on whether only these two leaders will be present at this meeting or if other local leaders will also attend, it is understood that the names of candidates on whom everyone agrees will be finalised.
Will they receive the 'AB forms' late?
Since the last date for filing nominations for the municipal corporation elections is December 30, it is being speculated that the 'AB' forms for the controversial seats will be given only in the last two days. There is reluctance in giving out the AB forms for the disputed seats. High-ranking sources claim that the previous tradition of delaying the distribution of 'AB' forms until the last moment to avoid poaching each other's candidates will continue in this election as well, depending on the candidates fielded by the Maha Vikas Aghadi and other major parties.
Party entry will happen; but when?
Some prominent candidates from the Maha Vikas Aghadi and the Nationalist Congress Party in the Khadakwasla, Wadgaon Sheri, Kothrud, Parvati, and Hadapsar assembly constituencies are preparing to join the BJP. There is talk that Fadnavis has advised the Pune office-bearers to proceed cautiously regarding the induction of three prominent leaders from the Congress and Nationalist Congress parties.
These leaders are primarily from the Parvati, Khadakwasla, and Kothrud areas. The BJP's strategy is to let these leaders contest from their current parties instead of inducting them into the BJP. Besides these, a dozen other party inductions are also expected. It is also being discussed that a decision on these inductions will be taken at a meeting to be held in Fadnavis's presence.
