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Maharashtra Assembly bypoll: Congress nominee elected unopposed
Mumbai, May 14 (IANS) In a relief of sorts, Congress candidate Vishwajeet P. Kadam was declared elected unopposed in the bypoll to the Maharashtra Assembly from Palus-Kadegaon in Sangli, after eight candidates withdrew from the fray, officials said here on Monday.
Among those who withdrew from the May 28 bypoll — necessitated by the death of incumbent and senior Congressman Patangrao Kadam on March 9 — included the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Sangram S. Deshmukh.
Earlier, in an embarrassment to its ally BJP, the Shiv Sena had announced its unconditional support to Vishwajeet Kadam’s candidature as a mark of respect to his deceased father.
The Sena expressed its “active support” to the Congress nominee and lauded his father’s contribution to in the field of education, and social and cooperation sectors, besides mocking the BJP for not announcing its support to Vishwajeet and ensure his unopposed election.
However, ignoring the Sena critique, the BJP attempted a behind-the-scenes bargain — it would withdraw its candidate from Palus-Kadegaon in return for Congress support in the crucial Palghar Lok Sabha bypoll and other elections, but the Congress rejected it.
Later, as all other opposition parties also stood in support of Vishwajeet, the BJP came under pressure to review its stand and finally backed off from the contest, paving the way for his unopposed election.
The announcement was made officially by BJP Minister Chandrakant Patil in Sangli, shortly before the deadline for withdrawal of nominations ended this evening.
Besides BJP’s Deshmukh, seven other Independent candidates in the fray also stepped aside in favour of Vishwajeet. His late father had represented this seat four times in the past.
An engineer, Vishwajeet Kadam, 38, also holds a doctorate (PhD) in Management and completed Management and Leadership in Education from Harvad University, USA.
Besides running the Pune-based “Bharatiya Vidhapeeth”, a leading group of educational institutions in Maharashtra, he served as the Maharashtra Youth Congress President for some years and contested unsuccessfully to the Lok Sabha from Pune in 2014.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.