Pune: No official list was not declared, but many former BJP corporators and local leaders filed their nominations for the PMC election on Monday. Over 100 BJP candidates filed their nominations as the party picked new faces and dropped several ex-corporators who have been members of the standing committee, law committee, and women and child welfare committee.The suspense over how many seats will be given to the BJP’s Mahayuti partner Shiv Sena continued as no official announcement of an alliance was made. BJP functionary Ganesh Bidkar said, “The party will announce the list of candidates soon. Discussions with the Sena are still underway.” Sena wants 35 seats, while BJP is ready to give 18. Sena leaders said they would file nominations irrespective of the coalition. “The alliance has not been finalised yet. So, as a backup, we decided to file our papers. Sixty of our candidates filed their nominations across various wards in the city on Monday,” Pramod (Nana) Bhangire, Shiv Sena’s city unit chief, told TOI.Sources said the senior BJP leadership decided not to declare the list of candidates until the last moment as they fear rebellion. Some aspirants were agitated that the party had ignored them and allowed newly inducted leaders from other parties to fight on the BJP’s ticket. The A and B forms which give authenticity of the party candidature to a candidate were given without creating much buzz.After they were denied tickets, five former BJP corporators joined NCP. “Many party workers gave their time to the party. But even in its bastions, the party gave tickets to candidates who joined it days before allocation. It is injustice to loyal party workers,” an aspirant said. Tuesday is the last day of filing the nomination.
