Three seats in Pune's fringe areas likely to boost NCP's revival

Pune: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), hoping for a resurgence in the city, is banking on winning Khadakwasla, Wadgaon Sheri and Hadapsar seats.

The party's senior leader Ajit Pawar and president Sharad Pawar are campaigning aggressively in these constituencies to ensure that the party, which ruled the civic body for almost a decade, gets into a commanding position after repeated losses since 2014.

While Ajit Pawar recently held a road rally in Wadgaon Sheri, Sharad Pawar will address a gathering in Hadapsar. Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule, who represents Khadakwasla, which is part of Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, is watching the battle keenly.

The party has been able to pacify many of the rebels in the three constituencies to prevent a division of votes but faces a challenge in Hadapsar where the party failed to strike a deal with Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

The MNS has fielded sitting corporator Vasant More from Hadapsar who has clout in Katraj and Katraj-Kondhwa Road. The constituency now faces a triangular fight between the NCP, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the MNS.

In 2009, the NCP had won the election from Wadgaon Sheri but lost the seat to BJP in 2014. Sources in the party said their chances of a revival were in sight not only because of the poor performance by the BJP’s sitting MLAs in the three seats but also because people were looking for a change.

A senior leader from the party said that NCP was able to clinch a victory in Shirur in the Lok Sabha polls in May 2019. Member of Parliament Amol Kolhe’s win will help the party better its performance in Hadapsar, they said.

Similarly, Sule’s win in Baramati may help the party win the Khadakwasla seat. Hadapsar and Khadakwasla constituencies are prestigious as both constituencies have NCP MPs, the leader added.

Another leader said Kolhe was keen to secure a win for the party in Hadapsar and his popularity will take the party to victory.

The NCP has fielded sitting corporator Sachin Dodke from Khadakwasla and the party’s city unit chief, Chetan Tupe, from Hadapsar.

At a recent party meeting, Ajit Pawar had told the NCP cadre to go all out in the three constituencies to ensure a win by setting up an aggressive network at the booth levels to reach the maximum voters.