NCP may scout for new faces in three LS seats in Maharashtra
Mumbai, Oct 7 : Workers of Sharad Pawar-led NCP have opposed continuation of the candidature of three of four sitting MPs in Maharashtra for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls over various reasons.
The only sitting MP whose candidature was not opposed at the two-day party meeting of workers and legislators, which concluded Sunday, was Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule who represents Baramati seat in Pune district, sources said.
Besides Baramati, the NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) had won Kolhapur, Satara and Madha seats in the 2014 polls.
These constituencies are repersented by Dhananjay Mahadik, Udayanraje Bhosale and Vijaysinh Mohite Patil, respectively.
The NCP has also decided to contest one more seat from Mumbai region, which will be other than Mumbai North East constituency which had been represented by Sanjay Dina Patil, according to sources.
Udayanraje Bhosale's candidature was opposed in the previous term as well, but as none of party workers could come up with better candidate, the Maratha royal was given another term.
"The leaders such as Bhosale and Mohite-Patil have not helped party in any way in the last four years. It is better if new candidates get chance to represent Satara and Madha constituencies," said a senior NCP leader.
However, Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil said, "Some fresh names have been suggested for the constituencies which we had won in 2014, but it does not mean there is an opposition to the existing ones".
He said the NCP workers are keen to contest one more seat from Mumbai region.
"They have expressed their views. The decision will be taken in coming days," Patil said without elaborating.
Former IAS officer Prabhakar Deshmukh, who was present at the meeting, has expressed his desire to contest from Madha, sources said.
Deshmukh hogged limelight in 2014 when his declared assets were to the tune of Rs 200 crore.
Local leaders from Kolhapur have opposed the candidature of Mahadik because his cousin Amal and latter's wife (Shoumika) were elected on BJP tickets in assembly and zilla parishad elections.
Another reason for opposing Mahadik's candidature is that outfit floated by his uncle Mahadev Mandlik has forged an alliance with the BJP in Kolhapur municipal corporation, they said.
Mahadev Mahadik controlls cooperative milk dairy (Gokul) which has an annual turnover of Rs 1,200 crore. He recently decided to expand the operations of the dairy in multiple states despite the opposition from most of the local NCP leaders.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
