Congress MLA Ravindra Dhangekar has thrown his hat in the ring to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Pune. His posters are going viral on social media in which he claims "Dhangekar pattern is coming back for traffic-free Pune".
Responding to the viral posters, The Free Press Journal approached the Kasba MLA to confirm his intentions regarding the elections. Dhangekar stated, "If the party gives me a chance, I will definitely contest the elections."
Dhangekar secured victory in the bypolls for the Kasba Assembly seat last year, defeating Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Hemant Rasane. The victory was significant as the seat had been a stronghold of the saffron party for 28 years.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress had fielded Mohan Joshi as its candidate, who faced defeat against BJP's Girish Bapat by over 3 lakh votes. When questioned about his candidature for the upcoming elections, Joshi expressed his desire for a ticket, recognising that the final decision rests with the party's high command.
"I've been a representative face of the Congress for several decades in the city. My tenure in the Maharashtra Legislative Council saw decisions that significantly benefited the citizens. Even thereafter, my commitment has remained steadfast towards addressing people's concerns and resolving their issues. While I've expressed my interest in contesting the Lok Sabha polls this time, the final decision rests with the high command," Joshi stated.
With approximately 20 aspirants vying for a Congress ticket, including city Congress chief Arvind Shinde, former MLAs Balasaheb Shivarkar and Anant Gagil, and other senior leaders, the competition for candidacy is fierce. The list also includes Radio Jockey Sangram Khopade, who has sought a Congress ticket. The final decision on the candidate selection is eagerly awaited.
