BJP starts bargain for Nandgaon, Kalwan

NASHIK: Buoyed by the hat-trick of its Lok Sabha candidate Harishchandra Chavan from Dindori constituency, the BJP has started a hard bargain for Nandgaon and Kalwan seats with ally Shiv Sena (SS) even as it is confident of turning tables in favour of its candidate in Chandwad.
In the event, the BJP is willing to stake claim on eight seats as against five in the existing seat-sharing formula in the district with 15 assembly constituencies.
"The Gujarat connection and the influence of the state in Kalwan, the prevailing Narendra Modi wave, the biggest margin of 74,000 votes to Chavan from Chandwad and a major presence of Vanjari community in Nandgaon - all indicate that the BJP candidate has a fair chance of winning from these seats. Hence, we are now demanding that Nandgaon and Kalwan seats be left by the Shiv Sena for BJP. In return, the BJP would leave seats for the ally in some other constituencies," a senior BJP functionary in the party's rural cell said.
The Gujarat connection is strong in the Kalwan areas as the population is often in contact with the people in the neighbouring state for trade, business and employment. "The latest feelers from the assembly constituency reveal that there is a good demand for a direct connection with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Considering the situation, we think that it's time that people got what they want. If we get the seat, we have fair chances of winning," the party office-bearer said.
The Kalwan constituency is reserved for Scheduled Tribe and is being represented by Arjun Pawar of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Similarly, the BJP is counting upon the support from MLA Pankaja Munde-Palve's 'Sangharsh' yatra received in Nandgaon and Sinnar assembly constituencies. "The Sangharsha yatra by Pankaja Munde-Palve received a positive response from the Vanjara community in both the constituencies," the leader said, adding that with good support of its workers in Nandgaon as well, the party has better prospects of winning the seat than its rival.
While the BJP's share would jump to eight seats from the exisiting five, the Shiv Sena's share would become half from its total 10 seats. "Although this appears to be the current picture, the party might give out one or two seats from its quota; but this time we are going to be aggressive on demands for seats and will defend it by camping aggressively in the rural areas," he added.
It was, however, the NCP that won in the recently concluded elections to the panchayat samiti presidentship. The zila parishad too is headed by the NCP. The BJP leader brushed off the results, saying it was due to the 2012 mandate of the people.
"It was the 2012 mandate that presented powers to the NCP and the Congress. The panchayat samiti president is elected by the already elected members of the respective houses. The fight, if at all, was largely between the Congress and the NCP. But in the 2014 Lok Sabha election mandate, the margin by which Harishchandra Chavan won against Bharti Pawar, the daughter-in-law of A T Pawar (NCP), MLA of Kalwan, proves that situation is changing in favour of BJP. Hence, we should be there to enjoy the benefits in the larger interest of good governance," the leader stressed.