The stage is set for a high-stakes and complex electoral battle in Nashik, with a staggering 735 candidates filing nominations for the 122 seats of the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC). The elections, scheduled for January 15, will see the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) contesting the highest number of seats independently, setting the scene for multi-cornered contests across the city's 31 wards.
Alliance Dynamics and Candidate Numbers
In a significant move, the BJP has chosen to go solo, fielding candidates in 116 seats directly and sponsoring two independents. This decision pits it against its own allies in the Mahayuti coalition at the state level. While the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) decided to put up a united front for these civic polls, the seat-sharing agreement appears to have frayed at the edges.
According to the Form 7 data shared by the NMC election branch, the candidate tally after the last day of withdrawal is as follows:
- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): 116 seats
- Shiv Sena: 101 seats
- Shiv Sena (UBT): 73 seats
- Nationalist Congress Party (NCP): 40 seats
- Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS): 34 seats
- NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar): 27 seats
- Indian National Congress: 16 seats
Other notable players include the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi with 39 candidates and the Aam Aadmi Party with 28 candidates. The field also includes 209 independent candidates, who received their election symbols on Saturday.
Internal Contests and Key Battlegrounds
The breakdown of alliances has led to direct contests between partners. BJP and Shiv Sena will face off in 97 seats, highlighting the tension within the ruling coalition. Similarly, allies Shiv Sena and NCP will challenge each other in 21 constituencies.
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is not immune to internal competition either, with its constituents contesting against each other in 32 seats. This includes six seats where the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) are in direct competition.
Several wards are poised for high-profile, multi-cornered fights:
In Ward 25A, the much-discussed BJP candidate Sudhakar Badgujar will take on Atul Landge of Shiv Sena (UBT), Atul Sanap of Shiv Sena, and an independent candidate.
Ward 9B will witness a direct triangular contest featuring Dinkar Patil, who recently switched from MNS to BJP, against Kaveri Kandekar of Sena (UBT) and Gulab Mali of Shiv Sena.
A notable family and political rivalry will play out in Ward 13D. Here, a three-way contest is set between Dinkar Patil's son Amol (BJP), his cousin Prem Patil (Shiv Sena), and Sahebrao Jadhav of Sena (UBT). In another part of the same ward, a crowded fray includes Shahu Khaire (who joined BJP), Ganesh More (Shiv Sena), Jayesh Barve (Sena-UBT), and six independent candidates.
Symbols and Strategic Withdrawals
The election symbols distributed to independent candidates reflect a wide array of choices, from the usual cup and saucer, gas cylinder, broom, and computer to more unique options like sunflower, injection, flute, helicopter, book, apple, balloon, and violin.
Strategic decisions are also evident in the BJP's move to not field any candidate in Wards 14A, 14B, 14C, and 14D. These densely populated areas in the old city form the core of the Nashik Central assembly constituency, represented by BJP's Devyani Pharande. The last day of withdrawal saw a significant number of candidates stepping back, with 657 candidates leaving the field, ultimately leaving 735 in the race.
With a record number of candidates and fractured alliances, the Nashik Municipal Corporation elections are shaping up to be a fiercely contested barometer of political sentiment in Maharashtra, promising a verdict that will be closely analyzed for its state-wide implications.
