Satish skips Cong interview panel

NAGPUR: The race among Congress aspirants for Nagpur Lok Sabha seat is getting tough. As the interviews held on Monday in Mumbai party headquarters was marked by absence of former guardian minister and MLA Satish Chaturvedi who had formally applied for the ticket, there were several others who appeared before the election panel.
As member of the parliamentary board, sitting MP Vilas Muttemwar was himself present in Mumbai but at least three youngsters ��� Praful Gudadhe-Patil, Ashish Deshmukh and Avinash Kakde ��� appeared personally seeking the party ticket.Chaturvedi was not present as he had reportedly gone to Vrindavan on pilgrimage. But sources hinted that he as also the other two city MLAs Nitin Raut and Anees Ahmed have favoured Gudadhe-Patil���s candidature replacing the sitting MP Muttemwar.
Former MP from Nagpur Gev Awari also made his appearance before the selection panel, it is learnt. Besides chief minister Ashok Chavan, former CM Vilasrao Deshmukh, campaign committee chief Gurudas Kamat, AICC observers Mallikarjun Kharge and Rao Virendra Sigh, MPCC president Manikrao Thakre were members of the panel that conducted the interviews. DCC presidents were present in respective interviews of candidates from each district.
In a new strategy, Muttemwar���s rivals in the party have tried to impress on the selection committee for a change this time. They have pitched in for young Gudadhe-Patil claiming that he could garner a big chunk of ���kunbi��� votes.