PONDA: Eight persons both within and outside the party are aspiring to contest the Shiroda by-poll on Congress ticket.
However, faced with a tough challenge from its former MLA Subash Shirodkar and MGP President Deepak Dhavalikar to retain the seat, Congress is having a hard time in selecting the right candidate who would win the Shiroda seat for the party.
The Congress has the many aspirants, but they are all new faces. As a solution to the crisis, the party leadership has now decided to go to the Shiroda voters seeking their opinion on who to field for the by-election.
The aspirants within the Congress include Sunil Sawkar, Sushant Gaonkar, Manurai Naik, Mhalu Naik, Hemant Samanth. And those from outside the party aspiring to contest on Congress ticket are rebel BJP leader and former industries minister Mahadev Naik, Independents Diya Shetkar and Nilesh Gaonkar. It is pertinent that Gaonkar contested the last Assembly election from Shiroda constituency.
However, Congress President Girish Chodankar has said that the candidate will be selected by the party workers and Shiroda Block committee.
Chodankar said that the candidate most preferred by the voters would be shortlisted by the Congress.
Meanwhile, Subash Shirodkar, who is certain to contest on the BJP ticket, has his own vote bank. Besides, he is also expected to get the traditional BJP votes.
Mahadev Naik, who is furious over Shirodkar’s entry in to BJP, has vowed to defeat the latter if Congress offered him (Mahadev) ticket. Naik also has his own vote bank in Shiroda and could prove a strong candidate against Shirodkar.
However, some Congress workers are opposed to the entry of Mahadev Naik into the party, leave alone giving him the ticket. Nevertheless, there is speculation that Congress Party may field Mahadev Naik.
Meanwhile, Deepak Dhavlikar has launched an all out election campaign in Shiroda and this has created panic in the BJP camp.
