Bigwigs file their nomination on Thursday

Pune: Several political heavyweights, including leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), filed their nomination papers across the city and district on Thursday, making the most of the auspicious Gurupushyamrut yog. Gurupushyamrut is considered a significant astrological phenomenon that holds cultural and religious significance in India.

In Pune, cabinet ministers Chandrakant Patil and Dilip Walse Patil, along with former Indapur MLA Harshvardhan Patil, were among the key figures submitting their papers.

Patil paid tribute at the Vinayak Damodar Savarkar memorial in Pune before submitting his nomination papers. He thanked the BJP leadership for choosing him as the party’s candidate for Kothrud for the second time.

“BJP top leadership has selected me as the candidate from the assembly for the second time. Ever since I got elected last time, I have been addressing the issues faced by people,” he said. Patil faces a tough contest from MNS leader Kishore Shinde in Kothrud.

In Wadgaonsheri, former legislator Bapu Pathare submitted his nomination on behalf of NCP (SP).

In Parvati, Congress leader Ulhas alias Aba Bagul filed his nomination in the evening, though his candidacy has not yet been officially confirmed by the party. The Parvati seat currently belongs to NCP (SP), but Bagul has reportedly approached Sharad Pawar multiple times, advocating for the seat to be given to Congress or for him to be nominated by NCP (SP).

In the district, BJP’s Asha Buchake submitted her nomination for Junnar seat, while Dilip Walse Patil filed his papers for the Ambegaon assembly constituency on behalf of NCP (SP). Former MLA Ashok Pawar entered the race for Shirur, also under the NCP (SP) banner. Congress’s Sangram Thopte filed his nomination for the Bhor constituency, while Sunil Shelke of the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction) entered the fray for the Maval seat.