Panvel assembly constituency in Maharashtra is probably quite unlike any other. For years, there have been two main political parties slugging out the electoral battle: The Congress and the PWP- Peasants and Workers Party- or Shetkari Kamgar Paksha, a left-wing party. The situation is same even today despite of so many other players who have entered and even conquered the scene elsewhere.
In the 1998 and 1999 general election, Ramshet Thakur from the PWP was elected in the Loksabha. Subsequently, he joined Congress and has been a leading light in Panvel, including getting his son Prashant Thakur elected as the President of the Panvel Nagar Parishad.
This same Prashant Thakur is the Congress- NCP candidate for the Assembly this time around. The PWP has fielded Balaram Dattatrey Patil and he is supported by the BJP-SS combine, who don't have a candidate of their own and have found a bedfellow in a left-wing party. Most people had no idea about who else was in the fray. The 'MNS factor' is over-rated outside big cities in any case.
Today, on the voting day, when presented with the ballot paper, we couldn't believe our eyes. We found that our reading faculties had taken our leave and we had to actually look at the next column of symbols to identify the persons. We were in the same league with our anguthachhap brethren.
Don't believe? Well, the ballot paper listed people such as:
(If you were looking for the Congress candidate):
Thakur Prashat Tukaram
Prashant Ramshet Thakur
Ramshet Thakur
(If you were looking for the PWP candidate):
Balaram Dattatrey Patil
Patil Balaram Gajanan
Patil Balaram Jayram
Patil Balaram Dattushet
Patil Balaram Namdev
Patil Balushet
No kidding! Without consulting the adjoining symbol, who would be able to identify their candidate of choice?
However, one name stood out though in this medley of real people and imposters. That was one Raghunath Nayar, with a symbol of very appropriate one and a half coconut. I won't be surprised if he walks away with a couple of thousand votes.
In the 1998 and 1999 general election, Ramshet Thakur from the PWP was elected in the Loksabha. Subsequently, he joined Congress and has been a leading light in Panvel, including getting his son Prashant Thakur elected as the President of the Panvel Nagar Parishad.
This same Prashant Thakur is the Congress- NCP candidate for the Assembly this time around. The PWP has fielded Balaram Dattatrey Patil and he is supported by the BJP-SS combine, who don't have a candidate of their own and have found a bedfellow in a left-wing party. Most people had no idea about who else was in the fray. The 'MNS factor' is over-rated outside big cities in any case.
Today, on the voting day, when presented with the ballot paper, we couldn't believe our eyes. We found that our reading faculties had taken our leave and we had to actually look at the next column of symbols to identify the persons. We were in the same league with our anguthachhap brethren.
Don't believe? Well, the ballot paper listed people such as:
(If you were looking for the Congress candidate):
Thakur Prashat Tukaram
Prashant Ramshet Thakur
Ramshet Thakur
(If you were looking for the PWP candidate):
Balaram Dattatrey Patil
Patil Balaram Gajanan
Patil Balaram Jayram
Patil Balaram Dattushet
Patil Balaram Namdev
Patil Balushet
No kidding! Without consulting the adjoining symbol, who would be able to identify their candidate of choice?
However, one name stood out though in this medley of real people and imposters. That was one Raghunath Nayar, with a symbol of very appropriate one and a half coconut. I won't be surprised if he walks away with a couple of thousand votes.
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