Congress Faction Withdraws High Court Petition After Swift Political Resolution
In a rapid political development, eighteen corporators aligned with senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar withdrew their petition from the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court within just twenty-four hours of filing it. The petition had challenged the divisional commissioner's refusal to register their group within the Chandrapur Municipal Corporation.
The legal counsel representing the petitioners formally informed the court that the plea was being retracted. Following this, Wadettiwar confirmed to media sources that the case was withdrawn after extensive and detailed consultations with government officials. "All disputes were resolved amicably," Wadettiwar stated, highlighting a peaceful conclusion to the administrative standoff.
Background of the Administrative Dispute
The corporators, including prominent figures such as Sachin Katyal and Vanshri Meshram, along with several Independent members, had initially alleged that the divisional commissioner failed to provide them with the mandatory application form required to exercise their voting rights. This occurred after they sought formal group registration following the municipal elections.
Frustrated by what they described as administrative non-cooperation, the group moved the court to challenge this obstruction. "The form for voting was not being provided," the petition contended, underscoring the procedural hurdles they faced.
Post-Election Political Alignments in Chandrapur
The dispute traces its origins to the complex post-poll alignment scenario in Chandrapur, where the Congress party secured a total of twenty-seven seats. Earlier, Chandrapur Member of Parliament Pratibha Dhanorkar successfully registered her own group comprising thirteen corporators.
Subsequently, Wadettiwar's eighteen supporters sought recognition as a separate political group, asserting their numerical strength within the corporation. "We have the numbers. Our group should be recognised," Wadettiwar maintained firmly before the group decided to approach the judicial system.
Ultimately, the registration of the Congress group with the Nagpur divisional commissioner's office was officially completed on Thursday, marking a formal end to the bureaucratic impasse.
High-Command Intervention and Political Reconciliation
Insider sources indicate that the matter escalated to the Congress high command, where late-night discussions on Wednesday facilitated a reconciliation between the rival camps led by Dhanorkar and Wadettiwar. This high-level intervention played a crucial role in de-escalating tensions and fostering a cooperative resolution.
Simultaneous Developments in Mayoral Elections
This political recalibration coincided with the completion of the nomination process for the prestigious posts of mayor and deputy mayor within the Chandrapur Municipal Corporation. A total of ten nominations were filed for the mayor position, while six nominations were submitted for the deputy mayor role.
For the mayor's post, the nominations included:
- Mansvi Girhe from Shiv Sena (UBT)
- Sangeeta Bhoyar, Sangeeta Amritkar, Sunanda Dhobe, and Vaishali Mahadule from the Congress party
- Sangeeta Khandekar and Sarika Sandurkar from the Bharatiya Janata Party
For the deputy mayor position, nominations featured:
- Prashant Danav as an Independent candidate
- Pradeep Deshmukh representing the Shetkari Kamgar Paksha
- Vasant Rajeshwar Deshmukh and Rahul Chaudhary from the Congress party
- Sanjay Narayan Kancharlawar from the Bharatiya Janata Party
Political Compromise and Power-Sharing Agreement
According to reliable sources, a political compromise has been reached within the Congress party regarding key positions. The coveted mayoral post will be allocated to Pratibha Dhanorkar's camp, while the party's group leader position has been assigned to Rajesh Adur.
Additionally, the post of deputy mayor has been allocated to Vijay Wadettiwar's faction, ensuring a balanced distribution of power and responsibilities between the two influential groups within the party. This arrangement demonstrates a strategic effort to maintain unity and effective governance within the Chandrapur Municipal Corporation.
