Infighting in Cong & NCP, Sena holds thin edge

PUNE: Sitting MLA Mahadev Babar of the Shiv Sena is up against veteran Congress leader Chandrakant Shivarkar and NCP's Chetan Tupe in the Hadapsar assembly constituency under the Shirur Lok Sabha segment where a keen battle looms large.
The Shivarkar and Tupe families have influenced and dominated politics in Hadapsar for decades while Babar is trying to establish himself in this constituency which comprises a mix of communities with Marathas playing an upper hand.
Babar is facing a two-pronged challenge. There is a discontent against him and his family among local Shiv Sena workers and the BJP has put up a candidate, this time. Though Babar's supporters say the BJP has a miniscule presence in the constituency and will not affect his candidature, the BJP's votes could eat into Babar's share.
A corporator many times over, Babar says he has the support not only from his traditional voters, but also from the huge Muslim population.
BJP leaders claim Hadapsar constituency deserves a fresh face and will vote against established politicians. Yogesh Tilekar of the BJP has started an aggressive door-to-door campaign to reach every voter in the constituency.
Shivarkar, hoping to stage a comeback in politics, has strong opposition from within. However, Congress workers allege that he and his family members have not allowed other party workers to grow in Hadapsar.
The NCP has fielded Tupe to cash on Maratha votes in the constituency. The Tupe family has a strong base in the area and a sizeable number of corporators from here. Many NCP corporators wanted tickets and Tupe is struggling to get the support of disgruntled elements.
Pramod Bhangire of the MNS is relying on his base in the Shiv Sena. He shifted his loyalty to MNS to contest the election, but the party has very little presence in the constituency.
Citizens feel the current MLA should have done more to solve their problems. "Traffic jams and garbage are two issues here. Corporators and the MLA have not taken any effort to solve them," said Radhika Kate, a homemaker.
All candidates have promised flyovers to solve the traffic problems and they have supported a new ring road. "We often hear about the ring road and a new corporation. The ground situation is worsening. The BRTS and the flyovers in Hadapsar are more of a nuisance than a help," said Chetan Shinde, a student.