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Ashok Chavan's stamp on Marathwada list

AURANGABAD: Names figuring high on Ashok Chavan's 'trust list' dominated the Congress party's nominations in Marathwada region. Among those who filed their nominations on Saturday were not only his wife, Amita, but all the party's MLAs from Nanded, Chavan's parliamentary constituency.

Sources said Chavan was entrusted with the task to ensure that Congress retains its hold over Marathwada region, keeps its hold on seats given the fluid political situation after it broke up its alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Chavan had won 18 seats out of 46 in Marathwada in the 2009 election while NCP had emerged victorious in 12 seats.

It was the Lok Sabha election results this year that have shaken the party's confidence and also that of NCP as Sena-BJP candidates established comfortable leads in at least 40 assembly segments across Marathwada, winning six out of eight Lok Sabha seats. Both Congress and NCP had then sensed a similar outcome in the state assembly polls. However, equations soon changed with the collapse of alliances in the state, making it difficult for all the players to win the elections. Parties have had to hunt for strong candidates from each other's outfits to contest against each other.

Given the confusion following the split, it was Ashok Chavan who had his way and his choice dominated the list in Marathwada. Almost all of Chavan's men from Nanded found their way into the candidates' list. Chavan's wife, Amita, filed her nomination on Saturday from Bhokar constituency, which Chavan had won by a margin of about 1.7 lakh votes in 2009. Speculation was rife that Chavan himself would contest from Bhokar to return to state politics, given that he had already got a clean chit from Delhi high court in a paid news case and has been absolved of charges in Adarsh scam by the inquiry committee, said sources close to Chavan. He, however, had a last minute change of heart and instead fielded wife from Bhokar.

Congress has fielded all the sitting MLAs in Nanded district including

1. Omprakash Pokarna, Nanded (south);
2. D P Savant, Nanded north;
3. Raosaheb Antapurkar, Degloor;
4. Hemant Betmogrekar;
5. Madhavrao Javalgaokar - Hadgaon
6. Vasant Chavan - Naigaon.

Names of other candidates too carry Chavan's brand of trust. The Congress has fielded Akash Subhash Jadhav, an educationist and son of late Kinwat MLA Subhash Jadhav in Kinwat and has nominated Shyam Telang, district unit Congress general secretary, as its candidate in Loha constituency, said Munna Abbas, a senior youth Congress functionary, who accompanied Ashok Chavan to Bhokar on Saturday.

In 2009, the BJP had won two seats while Shiv Sena managed to win seven seats and the remaining were won by independents or those from smaller parties. However, Ashok Chavan managed to garner support of many independents from Marathwada in 2009 to support the Congress in the state assembly, party sources added.

Ex-CM's List
Chavan's wife, Amita, filed her nomination on Saturday from Bhokar constituency, which Chavan had won by a margin of about 1.7 lakh votes in 2009 Congress has fielded all sitting MLAs from Nanded:

1. Omprakash Pokarna, Nanded (south);
2. D P Savant, Nanded north;
3. Raosaheb Antapurkar, Degloor;
4. Hemant Betmogrekar;
5. Madhavrao Javalgaokar - Hadgaon
6. Vasant Chavan - Naigaon
   

Chavan had won 18 seats out of 46 in Marathwada in the 2009; NCP had bagged 12 seats, Shiv Sena 7 and BJP 2. The rest were bagged by independents Chavan had managed to garner support of many independents from Marathwada in 2009

src:timesofindia

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