Hadapsar Assembly Constituency: A Battle Brewing Amongst Allies Ahead Of Elections
Hadapsar Assembly Constituency: A Battle Brewing Amongst Allies Ahead Of Elections
The Hadapsar Assembly Constituency, part of the Shirur Lok Sabha Constituency, has never repeated its MLA, and the upcoming elections have sparked discussions about whether this trend will continue. As political events gain momentum, a colorful battle is expected in Hadapsar, with candidates from both alliances vying for control.
In the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction) are set to contest. On the other hand, the Grand Alliance will see Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena competing for the seat.
Last election, BJP’s Yogesh Tilekar lost, keeping Hadapsar’s tradition of electing new MLAs intact. This year, the MVA has allocated three constituencies each to the NCP (Sharad Pawar group) and Congress, with Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction) securing two. Former MLA Mahadev Babar from the Uddhav faction has expressed interest in contesting, having even met with Sharad Pawar to claim the seat. However, NCP city president Prashant Jagtap is also eyeing the same constituency.
In the Grand Alliance, Shiv Sena’s city chief Pramod Bhangire, a staunch supporter of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, is looking to contest. Bhangire had previously campaigned for the seat and remains a likely candidate for Hadapsar from Shinde’s faction.
It is interesting to see the fact that Sainath Babar, an active voice in the Pune Municipal Corporation is also contesting the upcoming elections and is a tough candidate for all others. He has been vocal on various civic issues not just pertaining to Hadapsar constituency but also from various parts of Pune affecting the citizens. Ardent followers of party chief Raj Thackeray are likely to support Sainath Babar for his stance on developmental issues in the forefront.
The key issues in the upcoming election include traffic congestion, drinking water shortages, and waste management, especially in the newly incorporated villages. These local problems will be central to the voters’ decision-making process.
