Thursday, Apr 25, 2024 | Last Update : 07:59 AM IST
Council polls: Ramdas Kadam sitting pretty
Sena is confident of his victory since it has 76 corporators and the support of 13 independents
Sena is confident of his victory since it has 76 corporators and the support of 13 independents
Shiv Sena candidate and environment minister Ramdas Kadam is sitting pretty, while Congress and an Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) rebel will battle it out in the Legislative Council elections for the two seats in the Mumbai local body.
The Congress has fielded its sitting MLC Ashok alias Bhai Jagtap for Mumbai Local Authorities constituencies. He will take on rebel and former NCP leader Prasad Lad, in the polls to be held on December 27. Both Mr Kadam and Mr Jagtap are seeking renomination in the council.
The Shiv Sena is confident of a victory for Mr Kadam since it has 76 corporators of its own and the support of 13 independents. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has extended its support to the Sena candidate, which means he is likely to sail through easily in the first round only.
“The party leadership has asked us to vote only once in the elections and that too for the Sena candidate. We are not likely to vote for the second time. But the final decision will be taken only before the elections,” said a senior BJP corporator, on the condition of anonymity.
However, there are reports that the BJP is exploring options of diverting some votes from its own camp and that from the Sena to Mr Lad to upset the Congress.
Even as NCP has joined hands with the Congress for the polls, the later is wary of Mr Lad, who has defied his party’s leadership to contest the elections. Congress has 53 corporators and needs the support of all the 14 corporators from the NCP to stand a chance of winning.
The Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has decided to stay away from the polls.Congress and NCP corporators assembled together at a hotel in Central Mumbai on Saturday. They will proceed directly to the voting venue — the collector’s office at the Old Customs House — on Sunday.
“We are sure of our victory. But we don’t want to take chances. We are also keeping a close watch on movements from Opposition parties,” said a Congress leader.
