If I win: Candidates talk of promises as campaigning draws to a close

Gadchiroli and Chimur will vote on April 11; five candidates talk about their reasons to contest and actions planned

Gadchiroli: Election campaigns by candidates in Gadchiroli and Chimur will end on Tuesday. Shekhar Singh, district collector, said the constituencies in Gadchiroli and Chimur will go to the polls on April 11. "Political campaigns will end 48 hours before polling dates. We have four assembly constituencies where campaigns will end on April 9 at 3.00 pm and two constituencies where the campaign will end at 6.00 pm on April 9," said Singh. In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Ashok Nete of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won with a huge margin of almost 2.36 lakh votes. He defeated Indian National Congress' (INC) Namdeo Usendi. mid-day spoke to the five candidates contesting here this time, on why locals should vote for them.

Name: Dr Namdeo Usendi (INC), 49
Qualification: MBBS, MD (medicine)
Political position held: MLA (2009-2014)
His view: The Gadchiroli-Chimur parliamentary constituency is a remote, backward, tribal and Naxal-affected district. Poverty and insensitivity towards rural development has given rise to Naxalism in this area. The BJP is nothing but a jumla party which has only made fake promises. In its regime, poverty and unemployment have increased, with no solution to ensure social security, education, health issues etc. and people have realised this.
'If I win': I will improve the income of farmers, promote tribal cooperative moment to market forest produce, promote industrial development, provide better health facilities and ensure over all socio-economic development.

Name: Harichandra Mangam (Bahujan Samaj Party), 44
Qualification: HSC, pursuing graduation from Yashwantrao Chavan Open University Political position held: Nil (small time road contractor)
His view: The Gadchiroli-Chimur parliamentary constituency has only one university and no ashram school for tribal children and no employment opportunities for youth. Potable water is still a dream for rural tribal hamlets. There are no roads. Congress and BJP supporters have now understood that the parties won't deliver as they had been given opportunities earlier but they did nothing.
'If I win': I want to first start a school and a psychology and research institute. The government failed to provide vocational training programmes for tribals and youth that could have generated employment. I have plans for this.

Name: Deorao Nannaware (Ambedkarite Party of India), 59
Qualification: BA
 Nil (retired HM of a rural school in Chandrapur Tehsil)
His view: Ours is a national party formed in 2012, and most of us belong to the Manna community. We are deprived of higher educational benefits, as our community is not recognised as a scheduled caste or scheduled tribe. Neither the Congress nor BJP have done anything for our people, who number 1.28 lakh. We face serious problems in Gadchiroli-Chimur constituency regarding tribal welfare, lack of educational and medical facilities, under utilisation of forest resources, lack of industrial set ups and employment.
'If I win': We are the only party which has its bye laws in writing, with strong policies on education, irrigation, foreign and rural development, which will be implemented after we win the election.

Name: Dr Rameshkumar Gajbe (Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi), 66
Qualification: MBBS, MD (Gynaecology)
Political position held:State minister for commerce, mining and OBC welfare
His view: The Forest Conservation Act which should have brought some relief to tribals, has not been implemented, no growth is seen regarding agricultural or industrial development, and there is rampant land acquisition and displacement due to development projects.
'If I win': I will have laws for tribal and public welfare. I will employ young talent, and when they are occupied in the right direction, Naxalism will get rid of itself.

Name: Ashok Nete (BJP), 51
Qualification: Graduate
Political position held: MP (2014-2019)
His view: During my tenure as MP I got Rs 1,500 crore sanctioned from the Central government for various infrastructure projects like road works. I have also got a sanction for R500 crore for setting up irrigation bunds.
'If I win': My victory will help me turn all sanctioned works into reality.

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