Kolhapur :District Cooperative Bank director Pratap Mane, popularly known as ‘Bhaiyya Mane’, has parted ways with minister Hasan Mushrif and the NCP amid uncertainty in Mahayuti over the nomination for the Pune Graduate constituency.
He also highlighted his role in securing Rs 50 crore for infrastructure development at Shivaji University.
Mane, however, said there was no question of withdrawing from the contest as he had been preparing for the election for several years. Mane acknowledged that NCP might have faced limitations in securing the seat and said the situation could have been different had Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar been alive. Mane, a long-time supporter of Mushrif, has decided to contest the election irrespective of whether he gets the party nomination. He became emotional while announcing his decision.
Mane’s supporters had earlier expressed displeasure over Mahayuti’s failure to decide its candidate and urged him to contest either on a party ticket or as an independent.
NCP had won the Pune Graduate seat in the previous election.
Mahadik has said BJP will contest both the Pune Graduate and Teachers constituencies. Suggestions were also made that Mushrif should submit voter-registration data to senior leaders, allow Mane to contest independently and ask Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar to permit a friendly contest within Mahayuti. With the candidature issue unresolved, Mane eventually left Mushrif’s camp. However, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Dhananjay Mahadik has claimed the seat for BJP following Lad’s switch from NCP.