Pune: As the sun gradually descends below the horizon, sudden bursting of firecrackers heralds the evening poll campaign of former mayor Prashant Jagtap of NCP (SCP) in Kondhwa around 5pm on Saturday, after a brief break. Donned in all white, the Hadapsar candidate has meetings planned at various housing societies and slum pockets in the area. Amid loud cheers from supporters, Jagtap starts the campaign by visiting the Mahatma Phule Mandal, which houses a Durga Mata and a Ganesh temple right opposite Fakhri Hills.
"He visits the temple regularly to seek blessings," says Kondhwa resident Vikrant More. Throughout the evening, Jagtap visits every place of worship along the way, be it the Durga temple opposite Fakhri Hills or the Baba Rehmatullah Masjid behind the Kamela SRA project. Jagtap takes a tea break with his party workers, devising a plan on how to cover the maximum area on foot.
Surrounded by a large group of young men and a small batch of women, he then traverses the lanes of Mahatma Phule Vasahat seeking votes. Initially, Jagtap chooses a scooter ride, but traffic restricts the movement of his supporters, following which he hops off the scooter and decides to move around on foot for nearly 5km, covering areas like Salunkhe Vihar and NIBM Post Office Road. On the way, Jagtap greets and meets every elderly person, while clicking pictures with autorickshaw drivers.
As he approaches the housing societies, party workers alert the residents with "dada yet aahe, taiyaar raha.
