Jolt for BJP nominees in civic poll

The BJP has suffered a major setback in Ahmednagar, with the nomination papers of four of its candidates for the upcoming civic polls being rejected. The BJP Member of Parliament Dilip Gandhi is the worst-hit with the nomination papers of both his son Suvendra and daughter-in-law Deepti being rejected.

Suvendra and Deepti had filed their papers from wards 11 and 12, respectively.

Both their nominations were cancelled following complaints of encroachment related to the MP’s bungalow. Apart from the Gandhis, the other BJP candidatures rejected were those of Suresh Kharpde and Pradeep Pardeshi.

The papers of Mayor Surekha Kadam and her husband, Sambhaji, both Shiv Sena candidates, have also been rejected. Other candidates whose papers have been rejected include Balasaheb Borate from the Sena, Yogesh Chipade from Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shripad Chhindam and Sayyed Sadique Arif, contesting as Independents. Pardeshi was running against Chhindam, who was thrown out of the BJP for making derogatory remarks against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The rejected candidates are now running around trying to ensure that their candidatures are finally accepted.

There 68 seats in the Ahmednagar municipal corporation and polling will be held on December 9, with counting to take place on the following day. Four teams, which include police officers, magistrates and municipal officials, will ensure that the model code of conduct is being observed.