PIMPRI: The Congress and MNS have extended their support to Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) Anna Bansode in Pimpri and NCP-sponsored independents in Chinchwad and Bhosari Assembly seats.  

The NCP has fielded a candidate only in Pimpri seat in Pimpri Chinchwad, while the Congress has no candidate in any of the three seats in the city. 

The NCP has extended its support to former MLA and independent candidate Vilas Lande in Bhosari constituency. His main contestant is sitting MLA and BJP nominee Mahesh Landge.

The NCP has extended its support to Shiv Sena’s rebel candidate Rahul Kalate in Chinchwad constituency. Kalate is pitted against sitting MLA and BJP City President Laxman Jagtap.

Kalate is presently a Shiv Sena group leader in the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Babu Wagaskar said that the party has extended its support the NCP and the two independents in Pimpri Chinchwad as a part of the strategy to oppose policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. 
 
MNS leader Raj Thackeray has decided to support the Congress and NCP front in all seats in the State where the MNS has no candidate, Wagaskar said. Pimpri Chinchwad Congress President Sachin Sathe said that the party has given support to two independent contestants in Chinchwad and Bhosari seats after extracting assurance from them that they will support Congress-NCP front after their election.