Senior party leaders have urged the city unit to look for an able candidate from among the ex-servicemen so that this large vote bank can be captured. “The SP is keen to contest the Pune Lok Sabha seat and will soon announce its candidate,” city SP chief Anees Ahmed said.

The party has been for some time working hard to get the ex-servicemen in the city on its platform, he said, adding, “The ex-servicemen community in the city has people from all over the country cutting across regional and religious divides. This can contribute in strengthening the party that has a strong following from the Dalit and Muslim communities,” Ahmed said.

He said there is a demand from party workers to give the Pune ticket to someone from the Dalit or the Muslim community, but a final decision was yet to be taken.

Meanwhile, the BSP’s attempt at social engineering by making D S Kulkarni, a Brahmin, its candidate has stumped the party think-tank to some extent. According to political analysts, the eagerness being shown by the SP to contest the polls in Maharasthtra needs to be seen in the context of arch-rival BSP’s attempts to make inroads in the state.