The narrow lanes of New Binaki Mangalwari in Nagpur are currently buzzing with political discussions, all centered on the upcoming Nagpur Municipal Corporation elections scheduled for January 15. With the voting day just a week away, informal debates among residents are heating up, focusing on candidate prospects and predicting the likely winners in the four seats at stake.
A Tale of Two Candidates: Youthful Zeal vs Veteran Experience
Two figures dominate the local political chatter. On one side is BJP's 21-year-old candidate, Lakshmi Hattithele, a fifth-semester BA Psychology student. A political legacy candidate, Lakshmi's father Chandrabhushan alias Raju and mother Durga are both former corporators. She is contesting from her father's former seat in Prabhag 5A. "I am contesting from papa's seat while my mum was corporator in the previous term. I can't give away all this without a fight," she asserted, appearing confident about her campaign.
Her contrast is the seasoned 65-year-old former mayor, Kishore Dorle, locally revered as the 'water man' for his work in bringing tapped water to economically weaker families in east Nagpur's slums. A veteran who has won twice as an independent and once on a Congress ticket, Dorle remarked with confidence, "I was a mayor two years before our CM Fadnavis became one." However, in Prabhag 5D, he faces a tough battle against the BJP's Sanjay Chaware, who is strongly backed by his party in this BJP-dominated area.
The Electoral Calculus and Other Key Contenders
Local analysis suggests a challenging road for Dorle. A resident pointed out, "Chaware will get votes from four wards, while Dorle will pull from one." Before Dorle's intervention, women in these areas had to jostle for water at community taps, a reality that still earns him considerable goodwill.
The fray in Prabhag 5D also includes a surprise package: former Shiv Sena leader Sunil Bannerjee, now contesting on a BSP ticket. With a significant backward class voter base in the Prabhag, Bannerjee is optimistic. He cited his past performance—around 1,100 votes as an independent in 2012 and 2,200 votes as a Shiv Sena candidate in 2017—and claimed, "A dedicated chunk of 2,000 voters continues to support me." He summarised his campaign with the Bengali phrase "Khela Hobe Dada" (Game on, brother), identifying the BJP as his main opponent.
Another notable candidate is transgender candidate Sangeeta Khadatkar from Prabhag 5D. A school dropout, Khadatkar has pledged to strive for a government-aided school in the locality if elected.
Prevailing Sentiment and Predictions
In other wards, residents believe BJP's Abhiruchi Rajgire holds an edge in Prabhag 5A, while Shiv Sena (Shinde) candidate Yogesh Gondane seems to be the frontrunner in 5B. The overarching sentiment, as articulated by a local businessman, is that the BJP-Shinde Sena alliance is poised to secure a majority. "Though there are unhappy factions, BJP works like a well-oiled machinery that will see its candidates through," he said.
As the countdown to January 15 continues, the electoral battles in New Binaki Mangalwari's wards perfectly encapsulate the larger dynamics of the Nagpur civic polls—a mix of legacy, grassroots work, caste equations, and formidable party machinery.
