Senior Congress Leader from Pune, former deputy mayor Ulhas (Aba) Bagul has decided to continue his candidature as an independent candidate from the Parvati constituency. Bagul rebelled on the Congress party’s stance to share the Parvati assembly constituency with the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) NCP (SP) in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. Bagul was keen on contesting the election as a Congress candidate and met various senior Congress and NCP (SP) leaders earlier. However, the NCP (SP) fielded Ashwini Kadam as the MVA candidate, which forced Bagul to rebel against the Congress Party decision and file his nomination as an independent candidate.

However, there were talks that Bagul might withdraw his candidature and help the MVA candidate. Bagul has denied all the withdrawal claims and said that he will not back out of the elections.

Aba Bagul, while talking to Newsnetwork360.com, stated, “Some of my opponents have spread a false word about my withdrawal from the elections. I will contest the polls with full strength and also win the elections.  Paravati was shared with the NCP for the past three elections, and they always lost the elections to the BJP candidate. The Congress party workers felt that the Congress party should have laid their claim on the Parvati Constituency. This decision will only help strengthen the BJP in Pune, and Congress will be eradicated from the city. I have worked for the past 40 years to strengthen the Congress in the city. I still request the senior party leaders and the Congress party workers to support me in the upcoming elections.”

Today (October 4) is the last day to withdraw nominations from the elections. Congress rebel Aba Bagul has stayed firm on his decision to contest as an independent candidate from the Parvati assembly constituency.