Mumbai: In the ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly election, the Ulhasnagar four-term MLA and strongman Pappu Kalani is about to field his son Omi Kalani, who led his Team Omie Kalani across Ulhasnagar city. TOK held a convention along with local corporators, businessmen, and leaders from the Muslim community in Goa.
A core committee of TOK (Team Omie Kalani) was formed with 18 members announced at the Convention held in Goa. The chairman elected was Ex-Congress district president Dr. Jayram Lulla. TOK included representatives from all communities, including businesses, Muslims, and North Indians in the Core committee.
Omie Kalani announced that he will contest the upcoming MLA election from Sharadchand Pawar's party. However, an official announcement from Sharadchand Pawar's party has not been made yet. Kumar Ailani, a two-term sitting MLA, will be the next candidate of BJP from the Ulhasnagar region against Omie Kalani.
Notably, Pancham Omie Kalani is the Ulhasnagar District President of the NCP (Sharad Pawar) group. However, in the Loksabha election, Omie Kalani and Pappu Kalani supported MP Shrikant Shinde during Loksabha Election.
Jitendra Avhad, former Housing Minister of Maharashtra, attended the TOK convention in Goa. During his interaction with the media, he did not comment regarding the ticket, saying he was just a worker of the Sharadchand Pawar party. It will be decided by Sharadchand Pawar.
Ulhasnagar has a total of 2,56,431 voters, including 1,39,338 males, 1,16,998 females, and 95 transgender individuals.
An FIR has been registered against Omi Kalani for allegedly demanding a ransom of Rs 50 lakh from BJP's ex-corporator Rajesh Vadhrya in Ulhasnagar Township of Thane district in the year 2022. Kalani addressed the media, claiming that the case was false and based on cooked-up, concocted facts.
History of Kalani's
Ulhasnagar has been under Pappu Kalani's influence since 1986 when he became Mayor of the Ulhasnagar Municipal Council. Despite facing legal issues, he served as MLA four times, winning two elections while in jail. The Kalani family held control over the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation since 1986.
Pappu Kalani lost to BJP's MLA Kumar Ailani in 2009 but his wife Jyoti won in 2014 while Pappu Kalani was in jail. Ailani reclaimed the seat in 2019, narrowly defeating Jyoti. Despite the loss, Jyoti garnered 41,000 votes. Pancham, Omi's wife, previously served as Mayor of the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation for one year tenure.
On February 27, 1990, an argument between BJP leaders Ghanshyam Bathija and Pappu Kalani over bogus voting led to Ghanshyam's fatal shooting outside Pinto Park. Ghanshyam's brother Inder accused Pappu of the murder, but later, Inder himself was brutally killed in the same park. Pappu was implicated in both crimes.
