Konkan leaders for BMC polls

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As a build-up to the BMC election in 2012, the NCP has started giving prominence to leaders from the Konkan region. According to the NCP, prominence given to the Konkan region will have a positive effect in the civic elections.
In accordance with its strategy for the BMC elections, the party had appointed MLA Uday Samant from the Ratnagiri district as its state youth wing president. State NCP president Madhukar Pichad, while making the announcement of Mr Samant’s appointment on Sunday said that the party’s decision will also impress voters in Mumbai.
Mr Pichad said that party president Sharad Pawar has given his consent to Mr Samant’s appointment.
He also admitted that leaders from Konkan always have a positive impact because the Maharashtrian population in Mumbai is predominantly from the region. “Mr Samant’s appointment will definitely have a positive impact on voters in Mumbai, as they are originally from Konkan,” he said.
The NCP has always been dominated by leaders from Western Maharashtra, which include leaders like Ajit Pawar, RR Patil, Jayant Patil, Dilip Walse-Patil etc. State finance minister Sunil Tatkare, who initially was the only Congress MLA from Konkan in 1995 and later joined the NCP in 1998, was the only heavyweight NCP leader from Konkan region.
However, in recent times, minister of state for urban development Bhaskar Jadhav has also emerged as a prominent leader from this region in the NCP. Mr Tatkare is from Raigad, while Mr Jadhav is from the Ratnagiri district.
Mr Tatkare had made several announcements for the Konkan region in this year’s state budget. Later, the NCP chief also justified the focus on Konkan in this year’s state budget and said that his party was committed to the development of the region.
Mr Jadhav has also started expanding NCP’s network in Ratnagiri. According to sources, two prominent Shiv Sena leaders from Raigad and Ratnagiri are also joining the NCP, and this will help the party during the BMC election.
Meanwhile, Mr Samant said that he would work towards addressing the issues of the youth. He said, “It is the first time that a leader from Konkan has got a state-level post in the NCP. My work in the party will have the Konkan region’s stamp on it. Today, there are many youth related issues pending. Unemployment is the most important issue.”