Nagpur graduates' poll: Gadkari meets former BJP corporators as party guards against Sole, Vyas revolt

The BJP has stepped up preparations to win the Nagpur graduates' constituency election for its official candidate Sudhakar Kohle. The party is assessing how much damage the rebellion of former MLAs Anil Sole and Girish Vyas could do to the official candidate, and efforts to shore up the party's position at every level have also begun.

As part of this, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari appears to have taken the field himself. He held a meeting of the BJP's former corporators at his residence. City president Dayashankar Tiwari was present. Girish Deshmukh, Archana Dehankar and Raman Senad, co-in-charges of the graduates' election, were also there.

Senad too had rebelled and filed his candidature, but withdrew his nomination at the party's request. He is now serving as a co-in-charge for the election.

The number of former corporators in the city is said to be 155. At very short notice, 93 of them could be contacted for the meeting. Of these, 41 former corporators attended the meeting held on Saturday. According to sources, Gadkari appealed to all of them to stand with the party's official candidate.

Some former corporators complained that the party was sidelining them and that no one listened to them on any matter. Gadkari told them to meet him directly.

Party leaders have begun damage control after Sole's rebellion and Vyas's announcement that he was leaving the party and openly backing Sole. The BJP wants to win this seat at any cost this time. The party's city leadership has claimed that the rebellion will make no difference and that the official candidate will win.

The party knows that Sole and Vyas have long-standing and good contacts and relationships in the graduates' constituency. Sole has served as a corporator and as mayor. He also has close ties with former corporators, so he too is sure to seek their support.

It is said that, sensing this, Gadkari was requested to hold the meeting of former corporators and make the appeal, so that the party's candidate could benefit from his stature.

However, many within the BJP are finding it hard to accept that leaders like Sole and Vyas could rebel against the party. There is also talk in political circles that this is a hidden BJP strategy, under which young voters upset with the party would get an alternative and not drift towards the Congress. Even if so, who gains or loses will become clear only after the results on October 27.