New party to contest civic polls on Vidharba issue

Nagpur: The recent developments in the state legislature with all parties ranging against the BJP and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis over the issue of separate Vidarbha demand has also galvanized pro-Vidarbha organizations into action.
A newly formed political party “Vidarbha Maza” announced on Friday it would contest elections in all 11 districts of the region. “Starting from municipal councils later this year to municipal corporations early next year, we will field candidates in every election so as to prepare the groundwork for state assembly elections in 2019,” said its founder-president Rajkumar Tirpude.
Son of former deputy chief minister the late Nasikrao Tirpude, he took on the Congress and the NCP for their dual stand on Vidarbha. “Both the Congress and the NCP have not taken a firm stand on separate state demand all these years. Now leaders of these parties from outside Vidarbha have suddenly started opposing the split of Maharashtra even before their Central leadership declared any such policy,” said Tirpude.
“The Congress and NCP believe the BJP popularity is on the decline and if it starts a build-up now and isolates the ruling BJP on Vidarbha, the voters would throw the BJP out,” he said. “However, people of Vidarbha know it well that the Congress and the NCP would never create Vidarbha state that is necessary for speedier development,” said Tirpude. He claimed his party had network and presence across the region.
Meanwhile, two other organizations, Vidarbha Connect and Vidarbha Rajya Aghadi (Vira) have hailed Bhandara-Gondia’s BJP MP Nana Patole for raising the statehood issue in Lok Sabha. They also praised pro-Vidarbha Congress leaders Vilas Muttemwar, Satish Chaturvedi and Nitin Raut for taking on their own party leaders who have opposed Vidarbha demand in the state legislature.
In a related development, after Yavatmal tour, the region’s senior Congress leaders would be visiting Chandrapur on Sunday to bring all party factions together. The senior leaders, known for strong pro-Vidarbha stand, are also likely to discuss unified opposition of non-Vidarbha leaders to statehood demand. According to sources, Muttemwar, Chaturvedi, Raut would be accompanied by Azhar Hussain, Shivajirao Moghe, Vasantrao Purke, ex-MPs’ Marotrao Kowase, Gev Awari, ex-MLA Wamanrao Kasawar, Sanjay Deshmukh and Bandu Sawarbandhe.
Party sources said the visit was aimed at seeking information on problems in the district and to unite rival factions within the party. The burning issue of opposition to the statehood by non-Vidarbha leaders of all major parties, including the Congress, too was likely to come up.