Nagpur: The selection for MLC (local body constituency) is always regarded as a ‘trading trading’ poll.
Despite enjoying a clear majority, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) decided to move the Canitanya to tourist attractions and pilgrimages in the countries ruled by BJP, to prevent cross-vote.
Following instructions from top leaders, BJP caniliators tightly where they were taken.
The breakthrough came on my weekly Biryani dinner at Mominpura on Saturday night.
A BJP corporator is also there, and let it slip that he and other 30 canporators have to go for Goa the next day.
He was at Mominpura for dinner because he would miss him for the next 14 days.
Above some banter, he even silenced his time.
Picnics for 30 of the 31 BJP Canporator men have started in the city, with the leader of the ruling party at NMC Avinash Thakre held a cocktail party in a suburb of the suburbs.
When they reached the airport in the middle of the night, they were surprised to see someone from the media there took videos and photos.
But they don’t seem too worried, full of Dutch courage as before.
A Canporator was reluctant to go to Goa, and asked Thakre to release him.
Thakre asked BJP MLA to look into it, and after some time the corporators arrived at the airport.
When entering the airport, he could not hold back to take Jibe in Thakre, asking why he didn’t come to Goa.
The next day, three groups were more than BJP Corporators, including two female corporator groups with family members, left for various countries.
The story of their return is the same, and this journalist knows on time to 31 Corporators back, and covering their arrival.
All corporators were happy after a sponsored tour with their colleagues, first in this regime since March 2017.
But some dyed Canestators rushed to Dhaba to have spicy saoji food, which they miss outside the second capital.
One of the Canporators said at the airport, they enjoyed staying at luxury hotels, but don’t like food.
“We have packed Saoji Masala, preparing to cook their own food every time we get a chance during a tour.
But we are not allowed to use the kitchen in Goa or Mahabaleshwar.
Finally, we ordered an independent resort at our own fees, buying Mutton from the market, and cooking Saoji Mutton.
It was delicious and gave us a sense of house, “he said.
Picnics continued for the Canporators in Nagpur too, when they were taken to the resort in Penh after arriving from various countries.
They were taken to voting centers in the morning on December 10, before being allowed to go home.
So, a story that began with a tip from dinner, saw the Corporator BJP running a picnic for 13 days, and ended with BJP candidate Chandrashekar Bawankule, also a former minister, won with a big margin.
(Anjaya Anparthi has the ability to sniff a delicious secret from the NMC corridor)