MNS backs out from Yeola at last minute

Nashik: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena ( MNS ), which had announced the name of Narsinh Ramdas Darekar for the Yeola assembly constituency, backed out at the eleventh hour on Friday, the last day for filing nomination papers.

With the MNS candidate out of the fray, NCP heavyweight Chhagan Bhujbal and Sambhaji Pawar of Shiv Sena will be locked in a direct battle for the October 21 assembly elections.

During scrutiny, returning officer (RO) Rajendra Patil found that Darekar had not filed the A-B form. “The candidate had given only one proposer in the nomination form as it was to be supported by the A-B form by the party. He still could have been in the fray as an independent candidate if it had 10 proposer,” said the RO.

Darekar said, “I was told by the party office to file the nomination in the morning with promise that the A-B form would be given to me later. At 2.45 pm, I was told that I would get a chance next time. I am confident the party will consider me for some other responsibility in the near future.”

Meanwhile, a total of 243 candidates filed their nomination papers across the 15 assembly constituencies in the district. Of these, 31 were rejected, largely because of being dummy candidates of the official nominees.

The Nashik West assembly constituency has the highest number of 29 candidates in fray. “The number of candidates now in fray is highest in Nandgaon assembly at 29, followed by 28 in Nashik West constituency,” senior officials from the district election office said.

None of the applications from Deolali assembly constituency was rejected. At this time there are 16 contestants in the fray. “If the numbers of electors remain the same, the election office may have to put up two ballot units at every polling station as each ballot unit has space to accommodate names of 15 candidates and one for None of The Above (NOTA),” the official said.

Baglan constituency is the next with 15 candidates and Yeola, Chandwad and Nashik East have 14 candidates each. The minimum numbers of candidates in fray are eight – each in Dindori and Kalwan assembly segments.

From Nashik city there are three constituencies – Nashik East, Nashik West, Nashik Central constituencies which in total have 53 candidates in fray after nominations of four were rejected in the scrutiny.