Third list of 4 BJP candidates out, still no signs of Tawde, Khadse, Mehta & Bawankule

Mumbai: With barely a few hours to go before the last day and time for filing of nomination papers is to end in the afternoon of October 4, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday released its third list of just four candidates. There is still no word on the candidature of minister Vinod Tawde and Chandrashekhar Bawankule, rebel and ex-minister Eknath Khadse, former minister Prakash Mehta and partys chief whip Raj K Purohit. The deadline and time to file the nomination papers is before 3 pm on October 4 and the BJP is yet to announce the names of six candidates.

Having joined the BJP just few days ago, former Congress MLA Kashiram Pawra got the BJP ticket to retain his Shirpur (ST) assembly seat. The party has re-nominated its sitting MLA Dr Mallikarjun Reddy from Ramtek assembly seat. The party has denied ticket to its sitting MLA from Sakoli, Rajesh Kashiwar and instead nominated its sitting MLC Dr Parinay Phuke to retain the sitting seat. Phuke represents the Bhandara-Gondiya Local Authorities constituency in the Legislative Council.

By nominating former Congress MLA and corporators Ramesh Singh Thakur from Malad West constituency, the party has laid all speculation of sitting Congress MLA Aslam Sheikh joining the BJP. Thakur will take on his old party colleague Aslam Sheikh in Malad West. The party so far has announced the names of 139 candidates, out of which 95 candidates have filed their nomination papers till Thursday afternoon. The rest of the candidates are expected to file their nomination papers on October 4.

As the deadline for filing of nomination papers draws ever closer, there is no decision on the fate of candidature’s of – minister for School Education, Vinod Tawde (Borivali), former Housing minister Prakash Mehta (Ghatkopar East), minister for Energy, Chandrashekhar Bawankule (Kampthi), rebel and ex-minister Eknath Khadse (Muktainagar) and partys chief whip in the legislative assembly, Raj K Purohit sitting MLA from Colaba constituency. To make matters worse, former Congress MLA from Kankawli, Nitesh Rane joined the BJP on Thursday, is yet to get the BJP ticket.

Sources disclosed that the fate of the candidature of Vinod Tawde remains uncertain as there are more claimants to the seat which includes Vishakha Kulkarni, daughter of former Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik. With Khadse filing his nomination papers as an Independent candidate from Muktainagar and reported rumors of he being in touch with the NCP leadership, seem to have made his case all the more complicated. The candidature of Prakash Mehta too hangs in the balance as the he was forced to resign following allegations of corruption. Sources further disclosed that Raj K Purohit’s candidature has also been put on hold and he has not been on good terms with current Mumbai BJP president and fellow party MLA, Mangal Prabhat Lodha.