Leaders in jail, sons rise to hit campaign trail

NASHIK: The high walls of a prison will not cast their shadows on poll campaigning in Nashik. The sons of former guardian minister of Jalgaon Gulabrao Deokar from the NCP and Shiv Sena's former minister Suresh Jain, who are in prison for their roles in the housing scam in Jalgaon, have begun campaigning for them. The former ministers will be contesting the assembly election from prison.
Jain's son Rajesh said he had filed the nomination as a substitute candidate, but his father's scrutiny form had been cleared. "We have started campaigning for him. We have started with corner meetings, road rallies and meetings with the people. We have a Jalgaon Vision which will connect with the Shiv Sena's Vision Document," he said.
He said his father had been elected seven times and had an emotional connect with the voters. "This (housing scam) is a unique case where he did not get bail for two and a half years. Except for five people, 50 others have got bail.
," said Rajesh.
He said the development aspect was critical for campaigning. "We are taking all the communities with us to maintain harmony, a hallmark of Sureshdada. We will focus on starting the non-operational airport which will bring investment. The region has black cotton soil, banana cultivation and abundant sunlight conducive for solar-related industries. We want a resource centre for cotton growers. Research will help understand how yield can be improved. A textile park will help us give the district raw material."
The party wants to provide housing and other facilities to Bengali artisans working in the gold industry in Jalgaon "so that they feel like Jalgaonkars and not outsiders."
Gulabrao Deokar's brother Gopalrao and son Vishal have also begun campaigning for the former minister in rural Jalgaon. They will focus on how Deokar provided high mast lights in all the villages, got approvals for dams, bridges and railway crossings and promoted self-help groups. Gopalrao said Rs 400-450 crores of developmental works were done during Gulabrao's tenure.
"We have planned campaigning as per the zilla parishad gats (groups). There are eight gats and each has two panchayat samitis under it. We have instructed everyone to start campaigning. We are doing it along with other party workers through corner meetings, rallies and house-to-house campaigning," said Gopalrao.
An assessment of the banana crop to help cultivators has been done, said Gopalrao. "We will give a subsidy to cotton growers. We are planning to work on the diseases of crops with the help of the agriculture department. All of us will campaigning for Gulabrao on these issues," he added.