Pune: Candidates with criminal antecedents or alleged links to gangs and gang leaders have entered the fray for the next month's elections to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).
The Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) gave tickets to Sonali Andekar, daughter-in-law of gang leader Suryakant alias Bandu Andekar, and his sister-in-law Laxmi Andekar.
All three are accused in the murder of Bandu Andekar's grandson Ayush Komkar and are currently lodged in jail.
Bandu Andekar and his two relatives filed their nomination papers recently after being escorted by the police from the Yerawada Central Jal to the nomination centres in Bhavani Peth area of the city.
He filed his nomination as an independent candidate.
Apart from the Andekars, the NCP also gave tickets to Jayashree Marne, wife of notorious gangster Gajanan alias Gajya Marne, and to Bapu Nayar, a local goon.
Talking to PTI, NCP's city unit president Subhash Jagtap said the party has forged an alliance with the Republican Party of India (RPI), led by Sachin Kharat, through which Sonali Andekar and Laxmi Andekar have been nominated from ward number 23.
"However, both candidates will contest the polls on the NCP's symbol 'clock'," he said.
Justifying their candidature, Jagtap said the Andekar family has a political background.
"Vatsala Andekar was the mayor of the city. Udaykant Andekar, Bandu Andekar's late brother, was also a corporator. Vanraj Andekar (Bandu's son who was killed by Bandu's son-in-law Ganesh Komkar) was also an NCP corporator," he said.
He added that Jayashree Marne had earlier contested the civic polls.
While Gajanan Marne has several cases registered against him and also facing charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), Nayar has been facing cases such as attempt to murder and land grabbing.
The NCP has entered into an alliance with the NCP (SP) led by Sharad Pawar.
It has been decided that the NCP will contest 125 seats, while the NCP (SP) will fight 40 seats, according to Jagtap.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
