With zero Shiv Sena candidates in Pune city, 300 members quit

Vishal Dhanwade (third from left) with his supporters in Pune

In yet another instance of rebellion, around 300 Shiv Sena members resigned on Wednesday while one candidate is contesting independently from the prominent Kasba constituency. Sena workers in Pune city are struggling to stay relevant as not a single candidate from the party got a ticket for the state polls.

All eight seats in Pune city - Kasba, Parvati, Hadapsar, Kothrud, Shivajinagar, Wadgoansheri, Khadakwasla, and Cantonment, have been given to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates. The parties were not in an alliance during the 2014 polls and BJP's Girish Bapat had won for the fifth time, while Sena's Prakash Bedhe got around 9,000 votes. Since Bapat's election to the Lok Sabha, the seat had been vacant.

There had been agitations when the window for filing nominations was open and a few candidates had registered as candidates. All members eventually withdrew their nominations, except Vishal Dhanwade from Kasba constituency. The rebels gave their resignations to a party superior in Mumbai and to the Pune city president.

Speaking to mid-day, Vishal Dhanwade whose poll symbol is a cup and saucer, said, "This constituency is the birthplace of Sena founder Balashaheb Thackeray and we were hoping that Shivsaniks will get to contest as Bapat is now an MP. My fight is for every Shivsainik. We are ready to face any action. We believe in our party and will continue to serve it. This fight is for the party's existence."

BJP has fielded five-term Corporator and Pune's Mayor, Mukta Tilak. A bastion of the saffron brigade, Kasba constituency is located in the heart of the city and has places of historical significance such as Shaniwarwada, Lal Mahal, the first school for girls started by Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Pune's first Ganpati.

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