Blind candidate wants to end drought in Ajit Pawar's constituency

Chandrakant Manik Kadam 45 is a visually impaired liftman who resides in a 15by10foot room in a littleknown village in Baramati Like the village he hails from mdash Bhoitewadi very few will know of Kadam But all thatrsquos about to change very soon as he takes on a political heavyweight in the approaching state assembly polls mdash NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit PawarClear vision Kadam hopes to challenge and uproot the Pawar familyrsquos 47year reign in Baramati PicUmesh S PatillsquoMonarchy must endrsquoAccording to Kadam it is time for the Pawar familyrsquos ldquomonarchyrdquo in Baramati to come to an end He holds the family Deputy CM Ajit Pawar NCP leader Sharad Pawar and Baramati MP Supriya Sule responsible for the prolonged water scarcity in the tehsil and especially in 22 villages reeling under severe droughtKadam centre sits outside his oneroom house flanked by a few of his supporters Villagers have credited him for beginning a movement of sorts after his eightday hunger strike against the water shortage in 22 villages in Baramati PicUmesh S PatilThough farmers in the region have been loyal to the family faithfully electing it in both state and Lok Sabha elections for the past 47 years the Pawars have done next to nothing to relieve parched lands and citizens in the tehsil said KadamSo he filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate on Friday interestingly the same day as Pawar Having lost all sight at the age of five Kadam has never been one to shy away from a challenge In November 2013 he had embarked on an eightday hunger strike to protest against the prolonged water scarcity in BaramatiTaking cognisance of Kadamrsquos protest and the support it garnered from local citizens eventually Ajit Pawar inaugurated the long awaited Purandar Lift Irrigation project last month and also filled a small lake in Kadamrsquos villageTaking on the bossIn fact the deputy CM even offered him a job as a liftman in the Pune District Central Cooperative PDCC Bank a position Kadam accepted and has been serving in since FebruaryWhile the job offer may be viewed by many as a ploy to get Kadam to drop the water issue it doesnrsquot seem to have worked ldquoSee after my eightday fast he Ajit called me to his residence in Mumbai At that time I was working in the dispatch department at Mumbai District Central Cooperative Bank He asked me to join PDCC which is closer to my hometown Hence I accepted his offer But there is a clear distinction between my job and politicsrdquo said KadamlsquoWill not withdrawrsquoNothing will deter him from contesting the elections he said Not even earning Pawarrsquos ire and losing or jobldquoI donrsquot care if I lose my current job Even if death comes in my way I will not end my fight against those who have been ruling this constituency since 1967 My aim is clear In any case I want to resolve the yearsrsquo old issue of the lack of both drinking water and adequate irrigation for our fieldsrdquo he addedAsked whether he had been contacted by Pawar to withdraw his nomination ldquoFrom what I know of Ajit Pawar he would never ask me to take back my candidature In an extreme case even if I were to receive any such message I will remain firm on my decision and contest the upcoming electionrdquo said KadamWater scarcityAs various reports have pointed out in the past there has been a longstanding shortage of water in the Baramati tehsil parts of which fall in the jirayat raindependent belt Kadamrsquos protest last year was for 22 villages where the water scarcity is particularly acuteldquoAt the time of inaugurating the Purandar irrigation project last month Pawar had assured us that soon water would be released to fill up lakes situated in all the 22 villages But in reality besides my village only Morgaon Murty and Jogwadi had received water till date In all other villages the situation is still the same This is the main reason why I am contesting this electionrdquo he saidGame changerParesh Bhapkar Shiv Sena branch head at Tardoli seemed more hopeful and said ldquoThese 22 villages have nearly 50000 voters and if all the votes go against Ajit Pawar then it will certainly change the gamerdquoBesides Pawar and Kadam Shiv Sena candidate Rajendra Kale Balasaheb Gavde of the BJP and Congress nominee Akash More will contest the election from the Baramati constituency