Pune: A few hours before MVA candidate Ashwini Kadam 's padayatra (foot rally) was set to begin in Bibvewadi on Friday evening, an auto bearing her posters and a loudspeaker was already making rounds of the area's streets, announcing her arrival. Several woman functionaries of the local unit of MVA parties, sporting bright and celebratory saris, could be seen preparing for her arrival. Kadam, a Sahakarnagar resident and former PMC standing committee chairman, will be contesting her second consecutive assembly poll from the Parvati seat and squaring off against BJP's senior functionary, three-time MLA Madhuri Misal .
On the same day, Misal kept busy in a series of meetings with members of various housing societies from Chavannagar and adjacent areas, before beginning her own evening rally around Salisbury Park. "Our day starts early, around 7am," Misal told TOI, adding, "We aim to meet the maximum people ahead of polling day." Named after the historic Parvati hill, this is the only assembly seat among 11 constituencies in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad that will witness a "women-centric" battle — both major alliances Mahayuti and MVA have fielded a woman candidate here.
However, the entry of Aba Bagul, a senior Congress functionary and former deputy mayor contesting as an independent, has added a twist to the contest. On Friday, Bagul held meetings with several supporters and various groups, claiming to TOI that he received an overwhelming response from citizens so far. Besides t.
