The Kalmadi group, however, seems to have given up the claim for Pune Lok Sabha constituency with none of his supporter demanding ticket for Lok Sabha. Three aspirants including city Congress chief Mohan Joshi, former mayor Vandana Chavan and managing trustee of Kesari Deepak Tilak, who is also the great-grandson of Lokmanya Tilak, had submitted their applications till late evening. Friday was the last day for submitting the application.

While the number of aspirants for Parvati constituency is the largest, there are very few takers for Shivajinagar segment - the traditional stronghold of the saffron alliance. According to the party sources, Kalmadi group is more interested in fielding their nominees in Shivajinagar, Bopodi and Kasba Peth. However, Kalmadi supporters have demanded party nominations in all the segments in large number.

Prominent among them were leader of the house Chandrakant Chhajed (Bopodi), standing committee chairman Arun Dhimdhime (Parvati), leader of the opposition Datta Sagare (Kasba Peth) former mayors Kamal Vyavhare and Vatsala Andekar (Kasba Peth), former deputy mayor Hiraman Shinde (Parvati), Sambhaji Naik (Kasba Peth), Bhimrao Patole (Parvati), Balasaheb Marne (Kasba Peth),Dayaram Rajguru (Parvati), Dipti Choudhari (Shivajinagar), former mayor Ali Somaji (Bhavani Peth), Shiva Mantri (Shivajinagar) and Sadanand Shetty (Bhavani Peth).

As against this, a handful of loyalists are in the race including former minister Prakash Dhere (Bhavani Peth), Sharad Ranpise (Parvati), Anil Bhosale (Shivajinagar), former deputy mayor Nandu Moze (Bopodi), Balasaher Shivarkar (Pune Cantonment), former mayor Suresh Shewale (Bopodi), Sanjay Balgude (Kasba Peth), Arvind Shinde (Bhavani Peth) and former MLA Aminuddin Penwale (Bhavani Peth), Rashid Khan (Bhavani Peth) are in the race for the assembly tickets. Former Mayor Vandana Chavan has sought nomination for Shivajinagar assembly seat and also for Pune Lok Sabha constituency.

Party observers Marzban Patrawala and Anadrao Deokate will conduct the interviews of the aspirants on July 26.