BJP core committee meets at Gadkari's residence over rebel Anil Sole in Nagpur graduates' poll
Sole, a rebel and former MLA, could not be reached on the last day for withdrawing nominations, and his campaign office is set to open this evening.
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The BJP's core committee met at the residence of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to decide its strategy for the Nagpur division graduates' constituency election. Senior party leaders were present. The meeting discussed in detail the stand of Anil Sole, the party's rebel candidate.
During the meeting, Gadkari directed that Sole be contacted. Leaders present also tried to reach Sole by phone, but his mobile was switched off and they could not speak to him. The phones of people close to Sole were also found switched off. This has deepened the BJP's concern.
The picture in the Legislative Council's Nagpur graduates' constituency contest is to become clear today, as today (October 9) is the last day for withdrawing nominations. All eyes are on whether Prof. Anil Sole, the BJP rebel and former MLA, withdraws his nomination. Sole has been out of contact for the past two days.
According to information available, all senior BJP leaders tried to contact him to persuade him. Some leaders found Sole's phone switched off. Some did speak to him, but Sole did not give a final answer. State president Ravindra Chavan had himself gone to Sole's house during his visit to Nagpur, but Sole did not meet him even then.
Meanwhile, messages are circulating on social media that Sole's campaign office will be inaugurated at 5 pm today. The messages describe it as an office in Nagpur's Mahal area. Notably, Sole's campaign office will be housed in the Badkas Chowk office of Girish Vyas, a former BJP MLA. Going by these messages, the present indication is that Sole is not in the mood to withdraw. It will now be important to see whether the BJP leadership can quell Sole's revolt.
The BJP's trouble is not limited to Sole. Raman Senad of the Lok Jagruti Morcha has also filed a nomination, adding to the party's headache.
There is also concern over rebellion in the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Nitesh Karale of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) has filed his nomination as an independent candidate against Congress's official candidate Abhijit Wanjari. Karale had won a good number of votes in the previous Legislative Council election for the graduates' constituency, which is why his candidacy worries the Congress.
