NAGPUR, Feb 12: The prestigious Nagpur parliamentary constituency housing the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) headquarter will have a straight fight between the Congress nominee Vilas Muttemwar and the BJP candidate Ramesh Mantri.The Congress party which had swept the poll in 1980 when Indira Gandhi staged a comeback, is confident of repeating a similar feat this time in Nagpur as also in other cotton-rich Vidarbha region comprising 10 seats. The faction-ridden Congress party has been rejuvenated with Sonia Gandhi's entry as well as the timely electoral pact with the Republican Party of India and seat sharing with Samajwadi Party at the state level.
Congress party which had lost to BJP's Banwarilal Purohit in 1996 elections mainly due to division of dalit and muslim votes, is concentrating on wooing about 1.50 lakh muslims votes and two lakh dalits votes from Central Nagpur, Kamti, Taj Baug and Hassan Baur areas. In the last elections, Congress nominee Kunda Vijaykar had polled 232,045 votes and RPIcandidate Umakant Ramteke had secured 163,239 votes against BJP's Purohit who had won by securing 353,547 votes. Nagpur is the third largest constituency in the state with 15,23,248 voters.
However, the Congress party has received a shot in arm with the re-entry of Purohit who was denied ticket by BJP. Interestingly, the party has succeeded in luring independent MLAs Devrao Radk and Sunil Kedar and sought support from the veteran leader Babasaheb Kedar who was expelled by the party during 1995 assembly elections.
Muttemwar is banking upon the "Sonia Wave" and sees no hurdles in wrestling the Nagpur seat from the BJP. He gives dull credit to Maratha strongman, Sharad Pawar for electoral tie up with RPI and SP. "The party rank and file have really become enthusiastic he said, adding that there was simmering discontent against the SS-BJP government especially for its failure to expedite the growth process in Nagpur and Vidarbha region in general. The alliance government's efforts to develop the adjoiningButibori industrial estate with the private sector involvement has failed miserably as there was no taker. Muttemwar who was inducted by former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao into the union cabinet is resolved to make Nagpur a modern city with necessary infrastructure to boost industrial development. He will also take up the resettlement of unauthorised slums.
As against this the BJP is banking upon its recent success in the elections to the Nagpur Municipal Corporation and adjoining municipalities. BJP has won the mayoral elections in the civic body where the mayor-in-council has been introduced for the first time while delegating executive powers to mayor.
Moreover, the party wants to cash in on the developmental projects especially road concretisation, flyovers and setting up of Meghoot industrial areas, taken by the district guardian minister Nitin Gadkari.
BJP does not see any threat from Purohit who has fired salvo against BJP leader Pramod Mahajan and deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde foralleged favoritism and corruption in the Bhadravati power project in Chandrapur district. Party is of the view that Purohit's utterances will have no negative impact on the voters.
Ramesh Mantri who is trying his luck for the first time in the parliamentary elections, is not worried about the Congress-RPI-SP alliance as according to him, "Congress is a dead body which should be cremated without delays." The well organised party cadre, chain of "parivar" affiliated organisations, blessings from RSS, party infrastructure and above all SS-BJP government's achievements are on his side.
Mantri who heads the all powerful Nagpur Nagrik Cooperative Bank is committed to implement Rs 150 crore project for the setting up is committed to implement Rs 150 crore project for the setting up of garment and software zone by Maharashtrial Industrial Development Corporation near Nagpur within next three years. Similarly, he is resolved to bring in ring railway to connect MIDC and other areas with a view to increasingemployment opportunities for the educated unemployed youths. Additionally, he is more concerned with the lack or clearance for irrigation and other developmental projects due to `jhudpi' jungles. However, for Mantri all is not well as the "over confidence and arrogance" of Gadkari has hurt certain senior party leaders and activists who might create problem for him.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
