Candidates dump parties for tickets

NAGPUR: Every election season has seen ticket aspirants rebelling on being denied tickets but this year with the major parties contesting separately, party loyalty has taken a backseat. A large number of candidates in the district, on being denied a party ticket, are contesting on another party’s ticket.
This time, incidence of rebellion has increased because NCP and Shiv Sena were desperate for candidates.In many constituencies, the parties gave tickets to politicians from other parties. Poaching of candidates by BJP and Sena was also rampant.
The most prominent among them is perhaps sitting MLA from Nagpur South, Dinanath Padole. He was denied ticket by Congress, which went to former minister Satish Chaturvedi instead. Padole immediately convened a meeting of his supporters and decided to rebel. He met NCP MP, Praful Patel, and got a ticket the next day. Sena’s candidate Kiran Pandav was a Congressman till a few days ago.
In the same constituency, Shiv Sena district president, Shekhar Sawarbandhe, too was denied ticket by his party. He is now contesting as an Independent. Builder, Pramod Manmode, wanted a Shiv Sangram ticket from this constituency. When Sangram chief Pramod Manmode couldn’t persuade BJP to give the constituency to his party, Manmode rushed to MNS for a ticket.
The desire to throw the hat in the ring has divided houses. Former Congress minister Ranjeet Deshmukh’s sons are contesting from BJP and NCP tickets. Ashish is contesting on a BJP ticket against his uncle Anil Deshmukh of NCP from Katol while his younger brother is contesting from Ramtek on an NCP ticket.
After contesting against BJP for years, dalit leader Dr Milind Mane has jumped into fray from Nagpur North on a BJP ticket. Denied a seat by Congress, dalit leader Sulekha Kumbhare of BREM is now campaigning for BJP candidates.
Sena finding nobody to field from Nagpur South-West fielded BJP rebel Panju Totwani. It was saved from a major embarrassment when one of its prominent leaders of the district changed his decision to join BJP at the last moment.
In Amravati, former Congress minister Sunil Deshmukh joined BJP at the last moment when he realized that the ticket would once again go to the sitting MLA Raosaheb Shekhawat.