POLL BATTLE WILL SEE FIGHT AMONG KIN

VASHI: The city will witness politicians battling it out against their relatives who are contesting as candidates of rival parties to enter the NMMC.

Sister- i n- l aws are pitted against each other in two wards, while an uncle is pitted against his nephew in a ward.

The city had witnessed politicians contesting against each other in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. Sandeep Naik, son of NCP stalwart Ganesh Naik, was pitted against his cousin and BJP candidate Vaibhav Naik in Airoli Assembly seat.

Now Vaibhav Naik’s wife and BJP candidate Vaishnavi Naik is pitted against her sister- inlaw and NCP candidate Vaishali Naik for the civic body elections. For the first time, Naik women are contesting the civic body elections against each other.

Congress candidate Fashibai Karasan Bhagat is pitted against her sister-in-law Gunabai Sutar, a BJP candidate, in ward 65 in Vashi.

Members of another family are pitted against each other in two wards in Ghansoli. In ward 34, the NCP has fielded Chhaya Sanjay Patil, while the Shiv Sena has fielded former NCP women wing’s chairperson Kamalatai Patil, who joined the saffron party after she was sidelined in the last two NMMC elections and denied a ticket this time too.

In ward 32, the NCP has fielded Sanjay Patil, Prashant Patil’s uncle, who is contesting the civic body elections on the Shiv Sena ticket.