Maharashtra polls: Candidates try to cash in on former alliance partners

The alliances Congress-NCP, Shiv Sena-BJP may have broken, but many candidates appear to be cashing in on their party's former partner for their individual campaigns.

Congress MLA Ashok Jadhav distributed this pamphlet in Andheri, which talks about the Congress-NCP alliance and asks people to vote for it. It even has a picture of Sharad Pawar (circled)

Many had already prepared for the campaigns with the partner party leaders' photographs and names on booklets etc. So it also seems as if the alliances break up had caught them by surprise.

Some sitting MLAs of the BJP and Congress, who were sure of getting tickets from their current winning assemblies, were seen campaigning on Tuesday using their former partner's names.

The 2009 election winner from Andheri west, Ashok Jadhav of the Congress, started his campaign by visiting D N Nagar and other areas near Indian Oil Nagar and distributed a booklet of the work done there.

But to the surprise of residents, the booklet had a photograph of Sharad Pawar and the name of the NCP printed on it. Amused residents said he must have forgotten about the alliance break up.

Another MLA also seems to have forgotten that the Shiv Sena and BJP alliance was broken. Sardar Tara Singh, BJP MLA from Mulund, was seen distributing pamphlets with a photograph of Sena founder Bal Thackeray on them.

In spite of all the problems between the two parties, the friendship does not seem to have been forgotten by this MLA. He was also in the news for visiting Matoshree after the break up. Rajneet Singh, Sardar Tara Singh's son, said about the use of the pamphlets, "We consider Balasaheb to be Hindu Hriday Samrat and not just the face of the Shiv Sena.

So my father had also gone to seek Uddhav Thackeray's blessings and start campaigning." When this reporter tried to speak to Ashok Jadhav, his associate answered and said, "Sir is busy campaigning and will not be able to speak."