Political activity has intensified in Nashik following the official announcement of the election schedule for the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC). With the polls set for January 15, major political parties have swiftly launched the crucial process of interviewing thousands of prospective candidates, setting the stage for a high-stakes contest.
BJP Takes Early Lead in Candidate Scrutiny
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) moved ahead of its rivals by commencing its interview process on Monday itself, just after the State Election Commission's announcement. Party insiders revealed that nearly 200 aspirants from eight wards were screened on the first day. With the election dates now confirmed, the party aims to complete interviews for candidates from the remaining 23 wards by Wednesday.
The scale of internal competition within the BJP is significant, with the party having received a staggering around 950 applications from ticket hopefuls. This large pool indicates a fierce contest for the party's nomination in the upcoming civic elections.
Shiv Sena, NCP, and MNS Gear Up for Selection Marathon
Other major players are not far behind. The Shiv Sena has reported a robust response, with over 450 applications pouring in from candidates across the city's wards. Party officials confirmed that interviews will be conducted on Wednesday. The selection criteria, they emphasised, will heavily weigh organisational work, public outreach, and overall winnability of the aspirants.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has scheduled a mammoth one-day interview exercise for Wednesday at its Nashik office. The party plans to complete interviews for all 122 seats across 31 wards in a single day. This process will be supervised by party senior and former MP Sameer Bhujbal, along with city unit chief Ranjan Thakre. The NCP has received more than 200 applications from ticket aspirants.
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has also entered the fray, distributing over 300 application forms. The party plans to begin its interview process on Wednesday, with officials indicating that the scrutiny might extend through the week depending on the number of shortlisted candidates.
Other Parties Join the Fray
The Shiv Sena (UBT) wing has begun its preparatory work, with office-bearers confirming that senior politicians will conduct interviews over the next couple of days. Similarly, the Congress and the NCP (SP) have distributed application forms, with their interview rounds scheduled in the coming days.
With all major political forces now in full candidate-selection mode, the finalisation of nominees will hinge on a complex mix of factors. Internal assessments, the organisational strength of each aspirant, and hyper-local ward dynamics are expected to play a decisive role in determining who gets the ticket for these crucial urban local body elections.
The intense screening of over two thousand applicants across parties underscores the importance of the Nashik Municipal Corporation polls, seen as a key political battleground in Maharashtra.
