EXCLUSIVE Kolhapur: Independents with the trumpet as their poll symbol — often confused with NCP (SCP)'s tutari like in the LS poll in May— are contesting in as many as 163 seats in Maharashtra. In 78 assembly constituencies where the NCP (SCP) candidate with ‘tutari vajavnara manus' (man blowing turha) symbol is contesting, there is an independent contestant with a trumpet symbol. In 50 of these seats, candidates from both NCP factions and independents on a trumpet symbol are in the fray.
In the remaining 85 constituencies, independents assigned the trumpet are contesting against either Congress or Shiv Sena (UBT) candidates from the MVA alliance. Namesakes are contesting in at least seven seats. In Tasgaon Kavathe Mahankal, where the NCP (SCP) candidate Rohit Sumantai R R Patil is the fray, there are three more Rohit Patils contesting, one of them on the trumpet symbol.
Rohit Chandrakant Pawar, a namesake of sitting MLA Rohit Pawar from Karjat Jamkhed, has the trumpet allocated. During the Lok Sabha poll, voters were confused by the 'trumpet' which was called 'pipani' in its Marathi translation on the EVMs. Independent Babu Bhagre, a namesake of NCP (SCP) candidate Bhaskar Bhagre, got 1,03,632 votes in Dindori seat.
He was allotted the trumpet. In Satara Lok Sabha seat, NCP (SCP) candidate Shashikant Shinde lost by 34,000 votes while a relatively unknown independent candidate with ‘pipani' as his symbol polled 38,000 votes. 'Pipani' ate into the votes of other NCP (.
