NAGPUR, May 16: Old foes of Nagpur district rural politics, Babasaheb Kedar and Ranjit Deshmukh, are set to clash afresh as candidates sponsored by them fight it out in today's elections of the directors of Nagpur District Agriculture and Rural Development Bank.

The bank, earlier known as Nagpur District Land Development Bank, is the only cooperative institution in the district which could not be dominated by cooperative giant and former minister Babasaheb Kedar.

The group sponsored by Ranjit Deshmukh and sitting chairman Baburao Tidke, which claims to represent the Congress, has fielded candidates at all 15 seats. As against this, the Kedar group has fielded six candidates, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) three and the group led by Minister of State Anil Deshmukh has sponsored two candidates.

Congress MLC Ramesh Gupta, a prominent leader from Narkhed and the former MLA of Katol, Sunil Shinde are said to be backing Ranjit Deshmukh. Ramtek MP Datta Meghe and former MLA Bhau Mulak from Umred are also working for Deshmukh's candidates.

Though no single group appears to enjoy a clear edge at the moment, Babasaheb Kedar is taking no chances with Ranjit Deshmukh. He is learnt to have arrived at a tacit understanding with the BJP and Anil Deshmukh.

According to sources, the three groups agreed to plant candidates in contests where multi-cornered fights would help any one of them. The strategy also clearly appears to aim at ensuring the rout of Ranjit Deshmukh's panel. That does not seem to have affected his confidence in any way and he asserts that his group will bag all 15 seats.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.