Peasants and Workers Party drops Bhausaheb Rupnar for Ganpatrao Deshmukh's grandson

KOLHAPUR: The Peasants and Workers Party has dropped industrialist Bhausaheb Rupnar as its nominee and has instead picked veteran leader Ganpatrao Deshmukh’s grandson Aniket as its candidate from the drought-prone Sangola constituency in Solapur district.

Ganpatrao Deshmukh is the sitting MLA from the constituency and has represented the seat 11 times.

The decision to nominate Aniket, a post-graduate medical student, was taken following severe opposition to Rupnar’s nomination. Several Deshmukh loyalists had camped outside his residence, demanding that he either change his decision to retire from electoral politics or choose somebody else to represent the constituency.

A delegation of PWP leaders rushed to Sangola on Friday to address the crisis and announced Aniket’s candidature. Deshmukh’s supporters accepted his nomination. Subsequently, Aniket filed the nomination papers.

A miffed Rupnar joined Shiv Sena in the presence of Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday. The move is likely to benefit Sena candidate former MLA Shahajibapu Patil, who has been a traditional rival of Deshmukh.

Rupnar is a long-time associate of Ganpatrao and the head of Fabtech Projects and Engineers, an industrial firm registered at Bhosari MIDC in Pune. The group also runs educational institutions. Rupnar hails from Medsingi village in Sangola.

Ganpatrao Deshmukh, 93, decided to retire from active politics on health grounds. Earlier, the PWP had identified five possible successors, including the veteran leader’s son. However, Rupnar was chosen by the party.Aniket’s name was not in the list of five possible successors.

Deshmukh holds the record for being the oldest and longest-serving elected representative in the state legislature, having lost only twice, in 1972 and 1995 assembly polls from Sangola.

He has twice been a minister in the state cabinet, but spent his political career in the opposition. Throughout his 50-odd years stint, Deshmukh has remained loyal to the PWP. Deshmukh’s son’s name was touted, but his political credentials were largely untested.