Pune: With the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections approaching, several leaders who contested or aspired to contest recent assembly polls are recalibrating their political strategies, with many switching parties to stay electorally relevant. A growing number of such leaders have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), citing concerns about political stagnation and the need to remain active in public life.
With PMC elections approaching, several leaders who contested or aspired to contest recent assembly polls are recalibrating their political strategies, with many switching parties to stay electorally relevant. (HT)
Among them is former Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate Sachin Dodke, who had twice contested the assembly election against BJP MLA Bhimrao Tapkir and given him a close fight. Dodke recently joined the BJP ahead of the civic polls. Another entrant is Vikas Dangat, who had been preparing for the assembly elections over the last two terms. Dangat had earlier sought a BJP ticket from the Khadakwasla assembly constituency but was unable to secure entry into the party during the previous term due to opposition from the sitting MLA.
On the other side, leaders from the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) faction are also repositioning themselves through PMC elections. Ashwini Kadam, who had twice contested assembly elections against BJP MLA Madhuri Misal, is set to contest the corporation polls again. In another development, the son of NCP (SP) MLA Bapu Pathare has joined the BJP. Meanwhile, Congress leader Aba Bagul, who had contested the assembly election as an independent candidate, has joined the Shiv Sena.
Several defeated assembly candidates are now eyeing municipal wards as a way to retain political visibility. Former Hadapsar assembly candidate Prashant Jagtap is expected to contest the PMC election from Wanowrie. Similarly, former Congress MLA Ravindra Dhangekar, who contested both the Lok Sabha and assembly elections recently, is likely to field his wife in the civic polls, according to party sources.
Political observers note that the PMC election is being seen as a lifeline by many leaders who suffered assembly defeats. “Almost all candidates who lost the assembly elections are planning to contest the municipal corporation polls to keep their political careers alive,” a senior local leader said.
Dodke acknowledged the compulsion behind such moves. “In politics, sometimes decisions have to be taken to remain active,” he said. Echoing the sentiment, a leader who recently joined the BJP, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “The first priority in politics is to stay relevant. If the public mood is in favour of the BJP, one has to align with it. If we remain rigidly stuck to ideology, our political careers may not survive. Without power, it is very difficult to stay active in politics for long.”
