Cong-NCP infighting may benefit BJP-Sena in Satara

SATARA: Although the NCP and the Congress won all the 10 assembly seats from the Satara district in the 1999 assembly polls, inter- and intra-party rivalry in the two parties is likely to prove costly here to the alliance in the assembly polls.
While the NCP won nine seats, co-operation minister Vilas Patil-Undalkar, who is the sole Congress MLA from the district, is vying for a sixth term from Karad (south).The battle between Chhatrapati Shivaji''s descendants — cousins Udayanraje and Shivendraraje Bhosale — will be among the key contests in the district.
Shivendra now hopes to encash on his clean image and the sympathy created by the death of his father, Abhaysinh, who was a sitting MLA. Besides intense lobbying for tickets, adding to the problem of the alliance is the resentment against the state government for not completing the Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation projects and the sorry state of co-operative institutions, which are controlled by the Congress-NCP.
The Congress is demanding five of seats, while the NCPfeels that the Congress'' expectation is unrealistic.
Indications are that the two parties might have to contend with rebels in all but two constituencies of Satara and Karad (south).
Congress district chief Madan Bhosale is going all out to wrest the Wai seat from NCP MLA and minister of state for marketing Madanrao Pisal. Satara MP Laxmanrao Jadhav-Patil may support Pisal due to his feud with the Bhosales.
In Phaltan, former minister of state and sitting MLA Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar is being challenged by former Congressman Chimanrao alias Suryajirao Kadam,who is vying for a Shiv Sena nomination.
Kadam had contested the recent general elections as an independent, cornering 62,492 votes, of which 29,364 were from Phaltan.
Ranjitsinh, son of former Sena MP Hindurao Naik-Nimbalkar is also vying for a nomination and might pose a problem to Kadam.
There are a number of aspirants from the Congress and the NCP, who might pose a challenge to the official nominee. In the current scenario, former BJP district unit chief Dilip Yelgaonkar may make it due to his clean image and the developmental works done by him as a zilla parishad member.
In Koregaon, sitting MLA Shalinitai Patil faces a stiff challenge from many aspirants, including her brother Vasantrao Phalke-Patil and a group loyal to MP Laxmanrao Jadhav Patil. Adding to her woes is the Congress'' demand for the seat.
"Tai will contest the elections regardless of whether she gets the nomination or not," said Shalinitai confidant and Rahimatpur municipal council member, Dilip Bhosale.
District Congress secretary Baburao Jangam admitted that the two parties would have to face large-scale rebellions on the grassroot level. The seatsharing issue in the district was adding to the problems.
"The Congress and the NCP are trying hard to sort out the differences and rebellion, if any, will not harm us. The rebels need to have the required mass base to make a dent on our fortunes," said NCP MP from Karad, Srinivas Patil.
Needless to say, the BJP and the Shiv Sena men are delighted at the possibility of a rebellion within the two parties.
"Along with the anti-incumbency factor, we feel that inter-party bickerings in the Congress and the NCP will see us through in at least five constituencies," said Yelgaonkar.