Shiv Sena (Shinde) Party Activists Visit CM Eknath Shinde at Varsha Bungalow; Demand Hadapsar Candidacy for City President Nana Bhangire
Pune :
As the seat distribution talks of seat sharing for the upcoming assembly elections intensify within the Mahayuti coalition, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) is lobbying hard for the Hadapsar Assembly seat. Party supporters, led by city president Pramod alias Nana Bhangire, rushed to the residence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at ‘Varsha’ Bungalow to request the allocation of this constituency to their party.
Bhangire’s supporters are pushing for his nomination in the upcoming assembly elections, seeking his candidacy from Hadapsar. A delegation of party officials, including Deputy Zilla Chief Amar Ghule, Coordinator Abhimanyu Bhangire, and other key supporters, went to meet Chief Minister Shinde to emphasise their demand.
The Shinde-Fadnavis-Pawar government has agreed to contest the upcoming state assembly election as part of the Mahayuti alliance. Over the past few days, discussions on seat sharing have been underway. According to the initial formula for seat distribution, seats where the sitting MLA belongs to one of the Mahayuti alliance parties will be allocated to that party. Under this formula, the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) would not be allocated any seats in Pune city.
However, the Shiv Sena (Shinde) faction has a significant base of supporters in Pune. Consequently, party leaders are demanding that at least three out of the eight seats in the city be given to them, including the Hadapsar seat. Local leaders are firm on their request, with Bhangire’s supporters insisting that the constituency be handed over to their faction.
Party chief spokesperson Abhijit Borate explained the rationale behind this demand, stating, “To strengthen the party organisation in Pune city and the district, we are asking for Bhangire’s nomination from the Hadapsar seat. He has been elected as a corporator from this constituency three times and has brought in over Rs 300 crore in development funds in the area through Chief Minister Shinde in the last two years. The office bearers feel he is the ideal candidate.”
The Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) has also expressed interest in the Khadakwasla and Vadgaon Sheri constituencies, with final decisions expected in the coming days. Meanwhile, Chetan Tupe from the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) is the sitting MLA from Hadapsar. Nana Bhangire, on the other hand, has been increasing his outreach in the constituency, engaging with voters through various programs in anticipation of the elections.
Meanwhile, in Mahavikas Aghadi, Shiv Sena (UBT faction) has laid claim to the Hadapsar seat. Senior leader Sushma Andhare announced that Mahadev Babar, a former MLA, would contest from Hadapsar from their party. However, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) city president Prashant Jagtap is also preparing to run from Hadapsar, setting the stage for a potential multi-cornered contest.
