Cong launches Lok Sabha campaign in Pune without candidate

The city Congress Sunday launched its election campaign sans the candidate.

While the BJP has announced the candidature of Maharashtra minister and local MLA Girish Bapat for the Pune Lok Sabha seat, the Congress is yet to announce its nominee.

City Congress leaders were hopeful that the announcement will be made by Sunday morning, but there was no word from the high command, a party source said.

The party workers launched the campaign by taking out a procession from Kasba Peth, Bapat's Assembly constituency.

City Congress chief Ramesh Bagwe and four ticket aspirants -- former state legislator Mohan Joshi, Arvind Shinde, Abhay Chhajed and Pravin Gaikwad (who joined the party Saturday in Mumbai) -- took part in the event.

While speculation is rife that Gaikwad will get the ticket, some Congress leaders said either Shinde or Joshi could be the high command's pick.

"Party workers are eagerly waiting for announcement of candidateand with every passing day they are becoming impatient," admitted Ramesh Iyer, city Congress spokesperson.

BJP leaders did not lose the opportunity to take a dig at the Congress, saying it was like a horse is ready for the marriage procession but there is no bridegroom.

"It seems that after we put up a strong candidate in Bapat, Congress is not finding a suitable challenger," said a BJP corporator.