Mayas party looks for debut win in Maharashtra

In 2004,the BSP had fielded Rajendra Vaidya,who belonged to the Kunbi community,and had polled 1.04 lakh votes,ensuring Pugalias defeat by a margin of around 60,000. This time,the BSP has fielded Hazare,a lawyer,to target the Teli votes,apart from 1.84 lakh Dalit and three lakh tribal votes.

The Congress,which has seen its votes being divided in the previous elections leading to its rout,faces the same problem again and a group led by minister of state Vijay Vadettiwar,Bhadrawati MLA Sanjay Deotale and former union minister of state Shantaram Potdukhe are said to be at loggerheads with Pugalia along with a section of the NCP.

The BJP too faces the same problem,and a group consisting of Savali MLA Shobhatai Fadnavis,who had been trying for the Lok Sabha nomination,is said to be upset with Ahir,and Chatap,an ally of the BJP,who belongs to the Kunbi community,is trying to cut into the BJPs vote for the first time.

Much depends on the actual amount of votes a candidate eats into another candidates base in the 15.37 lakh constituency,which consists of people from a number of states and is known for its coal mines and Naxalite presence.

There will be a miracle in the results, claims Hazare,sitting in his office at Sant Tukdoji Bhawan in Chandrapur. He claims that apart from his Teli and Dalit votes,the BSP would also gain support of North Indians.

A former ABVP activist and RSS sympathiser,Hazare is also banking on support from a group in the RSS which is miffed at Ahir. He said that apart from Potdukhe,who was elected in 1980,1984,1989 and 1991,the Teli community had not received its share of political power. Hazare also expects support from the Akhil Bharatiya Gurudev Sewa Mandal,which he heads. The organization,of Saint Tukdoji Maharajs followers,has around 1,000 branches in the constituency.

Hazares brother,the late Chandrashekhar Hazare,was among the founding members of the Shiv Sena in Chandrapur,and Hazare claims he would get support from Sena supporters apart from the benefit of all the opposition to other candidates.

It is Jai Santaji,Jai Bhim and Jai Gurudev, says BSP activist Dharmesh Nikose,explaining that the Teli community which has faith in Saint Santaji Jagnade Maharaj,Dalits and the devotees of Saint Tukdoji,apart from the various Bhaichara committees set up for various communities,would ensure his partys win. Of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state,no mainstream party has given any representation to the Teli community,apart from the BSP which has fielded two candidates (Hazare and Manikrao Vaidya in Nagpur), says Ravi Dongare,a BSP activist for over two decades.

However,Rajendra Vaidya,who had contested the 2004 polls from the BSP,only to be expelled on the eve of the Assembly polls is skeptical. The BSP does not retain its leaders…. So,the partys base does not increase. There is a use and throw policy, says Vaidya,now the NCP district chief,adding that many BSP candidates who had garnered substantial votes in the 2004 Assembly polls,had now quit the party.

But he admits that the BSP could benefit in the polls due to disgruntlement in other parties,and the fate of the Congress candidate depends upon the votes cornered by the BSP.

Chandrapur MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar,who is also the district BJP chief,however,claims that the BSP candidate was not active in political and social circles and was hence weaker than Vaidya.

Though Congress supporter Ashok Nagpure claims anti-incumbency would work in their favour,BJP worker Poonam Tiwari says Ahir was seen more as a man of the masses,especially when compared to Pugalia.

CHANDRAPUR,Maharashtra

Candidates

• Naresh Pugalia (Congress)

• Hansraj Ahir (BJP)

• Datta Hazare (BSP)

BACK STORY

2004: Hansraj Ahir (BJP)

1999: Naresh Pugalia (Congress)

1998: Naresh Pugalia (Congress)

1996: Hansraj Ahir (BJP)

1991: Shantaram Potdukhe (Congress)