Amravati set for royal batte

AMRAVATI: It was the first 'show of strength' in the changed political scenario as key contestants in Amravati assembly constituency — Dr Sunil Deshmukh of BJP and Rajendra alias Raosaheb Shekhawat of Congress — took out big rallies to file their nominations and renew the battle fought five years ago.
With alliances taking a nosedive, it was a hectic day for the contestants with changed political affiliations as they had to hurry to file their papers at different constituencies on the last day of filing nominations on Saturday.
In Amravati, it was renewal of rivalry between Shekhawat and Deshmukh notwithstanding the presence of Sena and BSP in the fray. Five years ago, the intense battle had seen Shekhavat having the last laugh. This time around Deshmukh, under the saffron banner, seems to be all geared up to turn the tables.
While Deshmukh's rally attracted attention of people for its spectacular turn out, Shekhawat, whose candidature was cleared by the party late last night, appeared a bit disorganized. Deshmukh was upbeat while Shekhawat appeared a bit shaky.
Both the leaders made it a point to garland the statue of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar at Irwin Square before taking our rallies from their respective offices. Amid beats of dhol tashas and bursting of crackers and dancing supporters, Deshmukh set out from his Irwin Square-based office for the Amravati tehsil office to file his papers.
A smiling, confident Deshmukh, sporting red kumkum on his forehead, waved to people who profusely garlanded him on way. One of the notable things of his rally was the ease with which his supporters mingled with BJP workers and leaders. He was accompanied in the jeep by former Mayor Arun Dongre, BJP's Kirantai Mahalle and others. BJP Zilla Sanghatana Mantri Shivrai Kulkarni, Kiran Paturkar, Dinesh Suryavanshi, Surekha Lungare and hosts of other leaders were prominently present. Shekhawat too sought the blessings of people as he too proceeded towards tehsil in an open jeep. Both the rallies marched at snail's pace, moving through main streets of the city.
This made one thing clear: the constituency is again set for a battle royal.