Maharashtra Assembly polls: ‘We are terrified of leopards, my vote will go to someone who can solve the issue’

Sitting MLA Atul Benke, 45, who is from Ajit Pawar Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), is acceptable to contention the predetermination connected enactment summons erstwhile again. While his sanction is yet to beryllium announced arsenic NCP’s database has not yet been released, helium has already received the information signifier from Ajit Pawar, finalising his candidature. Benke has already started preparations for the run and is slated to record information successful the coming 2 to 3 days, sources adjacent to him said.

The NCP has enjoyed a beardown elector basal present successful Junnar, which falls nether the Shirur Lok Sabha constituency. With the divided successful the party, the Assembly predetermination is expected to witnesser a conflict betwixt the 2 NCPs led by Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar. Of these, with Ajit Pawar-led faction finalising Benke, each eyes are connected Sharad Pawar to cognize who helium picks arsenic the campaigner of the NCP (SP) from Junnar. In the precocious contested Lok Sabha polls for Shirur wherever NCP (SP)’s Amol Kolhe won, the Sharad Pawar-led enactment was starring successful 5 of the six Assembly constituencies. These 5 included Junnar. Because of this respective leaders from Junnar, including those from different parties, were seen pitching their candidature to Sharad Pawar. However, Satyasheel Sherkar, who is presently successful the Congress, is apt to power to the NCP (SP) and is apt to beryllium the enactment campaigner from Junnar.

Benke has the vantage of the bequest of his precocious begetter Vallabh Benke, who had adjacent relation with the Pawar household and was four-time MLA from Junnar. What tin beryllium worrying to Benke is the pb that NCP (SP) took successful Junnar successful Shirur Lok Sabha constituency.

When contacted, Benke laid retired his cardinal challenges for Junnar, which helium plans to instrumentality on. “Satisfactory improvement has been achieved successful infrastructure successful the signifier of roads and bridges and besides successful irrigation projects. I americium arrogant to accidental my household played a cardinal relation successful this. However with a large agriculture potential, determination is immense scope for agri-based industries. Because of the beingness of a delicate constitution of GMRT, Junnar has limitations for mounting up large-scale industries. And that is wherefore to supply employment opportunities for your procreation our absorption volition beryllium connected processing tourism, for which Junnar has immense potential. A Detailed Project Report has been sanctioned which focused connected tourism improvement successful Junnar connected 3 prongs — historic, pilgrimage tourism and wildlife tourism.”

Benke, however, said that human-leopard struggle remains a cardinal situation and precise delicate issue. “We person a precise precocious and rapidly increasing colonisation of leopards. We person reached a decision that the contiguous solution is seizure and relocation. But past the question remains, wherever bash we relocate them. The solution for this volition request information from each stakeholders.”

With a increasing leopard colonisation successful the Junnar wood country successful Pune starring to accrued incidents of human-leopard struggle successful the region, the authorities Forest Department has sent a connection to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to sterilise 36 pistillate and 11 antheral leopard arsenic a targeted commencement power method to bring down the complaint of summation of leopard population. In June this year, Pune District Collector had notified implicit 230 villages from 4 talukas of Pune territory — Junnar, Ambegaon, Shirur and Khed — arsenic prone to catastrophe owed to repeated incidents of human-leopard conflicts successful which aggregate deaths and respective superior injuries were reported. Of the 8 quality deaths reported successful human-leopard struggle since March, 5 person been children.

In a caller station connected X, Sherkar warned of wide agitations implicit the contented of human-leopard conflict. “Following accordant efforts of MP Amol Kolhe, a connection to sterilise leopards has been sent to the Centre. That connection is gathering dust. The ruling enactment indispensable reply this. If nary solution is reached soon, it volition effect successful wide choler and agitation among the radical of Junnar.”

Know the constituency

* Junnar is the northernmost Assembly constituency of Pune district. Nestled amidst Western Ghat mountains, Junnar is location to the historical Shivneri fort, the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Junnar is besides location to the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), and 2 celebrated Ganesh temples of Ozar and Lenyadri.

* The Junnar country is location to a rapidly increasing leopard colonisation and has reported a full of 8 quality deaths successful human-leopard conflicts since March this year, 5 of which are children. It is location to important irrigation projects, including Yedgaon, Pimpalgaon Joga, Manikdoh, Chilhewadi and Vadaj. It has assorted escapade attractions, including Naneghat, and location to past caves and temples.

* Initially, Junnar was a stronghold of the Indian National Congress and later, the Shiv Sena and the NCP strengthened their base. Sitting MLA Atul Benke’s begetter precocious Vallabh Benke was elected from present 4 times, doubly successful 1980 and doubly successful 2000s. In 2014, Sharad Sonabane won the spot connected Maharashtra Navnirman ticket. He shifted to Shiv Sena successful 2019 to contention against Atul Benke.