BJP leader Patil files nomination from Pune's Kothrud seat

BJP leader Patil files nomination from Pune's Kothrud seat (Eds: Adds details) Pune, Oct 3 (PTI)Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil, whose candidature from Kothrud here had triggered anger in a section of party workers, on Thursday filed nomination papers amid a show of strength. Patil, who is also a minister, garlanded a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and then left for filing nomination papers with a huge motorbike rally.

He has replaced sitting Kothrud BJP MLA Medha Kulkarni as the party's candidate in the Brahmin-dominated seat, leading to angry reactions by local workers and also a Brahmin organization. Pune BJP MP Girish Bapat and Kulkarni accompanied Patil as he filed his papers.

"I am sure the people of Kothrud will support my candidature," Patil tweeted after filing his papers. Kulkarni was reportedly disappointed after she was denied a ticket to accommodate Patil.

Posters had come up in the area demanding that a local candidate be given the ticket and not an "outsider". Assembly elections will be held in Maharashtra on October 21.

Besides Patil, party's city unit president and sitting MLA Madhuri Misal (Parvati), mayor Mukta Tilak (Kasba Peth), Bhimrao Tapkir (Khadkwasla), Jagdish Mulik (Vadgaon Sheri), Sunil Kamble (Pune Cantonment), Sidharth Shirole (Shivajinagar) and Yogesh Tilekar (Hadapsar) filed their nominations. From Congress city unit chief Ramesh Bagwe filed his nominations from the Pune Cantonment constituency.

Congress candidates Arvind Shinde and Dattatray Bahirat filed their nominations from Kasba Peth and Shivajinagar, respectively. NCP candidates are yet to file their nominations from Parvati, Kothrud, Khadakwasla and Hadapsar seats.

"The NCP has been given the Kothrud seat (as part of pre-poll pact with the Congress) and the party has given that seat to the Swabhimani Shetkari Paksh. "However, if they do not find a suitable candidate, we will field a strong candidate against the BJP's Patil," said a senior NCP leader from the city.

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