Many rebels despite delayed lists

MUMBAI: For the first time, the office of the President of India has been dragged into partisan politics with Congress minister Sunil Deshmukh accusing President Pratibha Patil of misusing her position to get a ticket for her son Raosaheb Shekhawat. The Congress denied a ticket to Deshmukh, who is the sitting MLA from Amravati with a long record of service to the constituency, and gave it to a relative greenhorn.
Both the Congress and NCP are facing large-scale rebellion even before both have declared the complete list of their candidates. In a tactical move, both parties have been keeping their lists close to their chest, but that has not deterred seasoned political workers from going ahead and filing nominations to put pressure on their parties.
In Ghatkopar (East), about 2,000 people gathered outside the office of ticket aspirant Raja Mirani and put pressure on him to contest as an Independent. The Congress has opted for former MLA Virendra Bakshi even though he was hoping for a ticket from Ghatkopar (West). Mirani has now decided to rebel. He said, "I am determined to unseat sitting MLA Prakash Mehta of the BJP.''
In Bandra, the NCP unit led by Asif Bamla has decided not to work for Congress nominee Baba Siddiqui. In Malabar Hill, there is a wave of discontent over the selection of R K Bafna over senior activists like Gunwant Seth and social activist Suseiben Shah. In Andheri (West), the supporters of trade union leader Jaywant Parab are upset that the seat has been given to Ashok Jadhav, who was an MLA in neighbouring Vile Parle.
As reported by TOI, former NCP minister Dilip Sopal has gone ahead and filed his rebel nomination from Barshi in Solapur district. Another former NCP minister, Digvijay Khanvilkar, who was waiting for five years to take revenge on Independent candidate Satej Patil, who defeated him in the 2004 poll in Kolhapur (South), has rebelled. Thousands of his supporters are angry that the NCP has conceded the seat to the Congress, which has fielded Satej Patil.
"No political party has been taking action against rebels who get elected. On the contrary, they are adjusted in the power structure and some even become ministers. So no one is afraid of contesting as a rebel,'' a senior Congress minister observed.
Sitting NCP MLA Balasaheb Patil from Karad has resigned from the party and filed as an Independent. Similarly, Congress MLA from Pathardi, Rajeev Rajale, rebelled and filed his nomination. NCP workers are also planning to set up a rebel in Pandharpur.