At a time when Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress MLAs are being shifted from one five-star hotel to another to keep them from straying, there is one MLA who seems far removed from the power-brokering process. Communist Party of India (Marxist)’s sole MLA, Vinod Nikole from Dahanu assembly constituency, is busy touring Palghar and Thane districts attending to farmers’ woes.

All political parties have tried to woo Nikole (43)—the poorest of the 288 MLAs in the state assembly with assets worth Rs 51,082 declared by him and his spouse.

Maharashtra CPM MLA Vinod Nikole is winning the internet with his decision to snub stay at 5-star hotels like that of NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena MLAs and instead address farmers and their issues.

The viral image of Vinod Nikole addressing a gathering on Monday. (Image: Twitter)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Maharashtra Communist leader Vinod Nikole is winning the Internet
• Vinod Nikole chose to address farmers and their issues on Monday instead of indulging in power-playing
• He was offered a stay at one of the 5-star hotels of NCP, Sena, Congress, which he refused

Maharashtra CPI(M) shared an image of its lone MLA in the state, Vinod Nikole, addressing a gathering outside Dahanu SDO office on Monday. The image has gone viral and is winning hearts with social media lauding Nikole’s efforts to work for the people even as the all other MLAs in the state are locked in a fierce political battle over government formation.

CPI(M) Maharashtra tweeted, “AIKS Rally Across Collectorate Office in Maharashtra. CPI(M) MLA Com Vinod Nikole addressing the massive rasta roko outside the Dahanu SDO office today organised by the CPI(M) and @KisanSabha along with AIKS National President, Dr. Ashok Dhawale and State VP, Com. Barkya Mangat (sic)”.

CPIM Maharashtra@mahacpimspeak

AIKS Rally Across Collectorate Office in Maharashtra
CPI(M) MLA Com Vinod Nikole addressing the massive rasta roko outside the Dahanu SDO office today organised by the CPI(M) and @KisanSabha along with AIKS National President, Dr. Ashok Dhawale and State VP, Com. Barkya Mangat.

1665:01 PM – Nov 25, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy45 people are talking about this

The image has gone viral on Twitter with many hailing MLA Vinod Nikole for addressing farmers’ issues and touring villages in Palghar and Thane districts instead of indulging in politics to seek power.

The Communist Party tweeted, “BJP’s shameful grab for power in Maharashtra is in full display as it tries to buy opposition MLAs using huge sums of cash while Congress-NCP-Shiv Sena try to prevent this by moving their MLAs to Hotels. There is one MLA not for sale. CPIM’s Vinod Nikole!”

V P Sanu✔@VP_Sanu

Parking spots during #MaharashtraCrisis

Congress : JW Marriott hotel in Juhu area.

NCP : The Renaissance hotel in Powai.

Shiv Sena : The Lalit hotel, Mumbai.

And,

Vinod Nikole (CPIM) : Not afraid of saffron political poachers, at his Dahanu constituency.1,13811:11 AM – Nov 25, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy283 people are talking about this

Comrade from Kerala@ComradeMallu

When every elected MLA in Maharashtra is sleeping in a resort,only one among those 288 is sleeping at home. Away from all those muddy power politics is comrade Vinod Nikole, the CPIM MLA.There is something called “credibility” #MaharashtraPolitics

63610:07 AM – Nov 24, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy279 people are talking about this

pratheesh@pratheesh

Vinod Nikole MLA from Dahanu is already busy with farmer’s issues. We need more such ideologically driven leaders, from socially & economically progressive parties, who are committed to the people & their livelihood issues. #MaharashtraCrisis #MaharashtraPoliticalDrama

According to a Times of India report, Nikole used to sell vada pav in Dahanu before he joined the Communist Party in 2015. He is now a full-time social worker with declared assets worth Rs 51,000.

According to the report, Nikole was approached by all the three parties of Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP to join them at the 5-star hotels their MLAs have been put up to prevent poaching in the ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra. CPI(M) has extended support to the NCP-Sena-Congress combine.

However, Nikole and his fellow comrades declined the offer and instead went on touring villages in Maharashtra to organise rallies and address farmers’ issues along with the Kisan Sabha.

Now a full-time social worker, Nikole used to sell vada pav in Dahanu till he joined the party in 2015.

While Nikole refused to speak about the political scenario in the state, saying he was busy attending to farmers, Ashok Dhawale, president, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) and member of CPI(M) central committee, confirmed that Nikole was approached by various parties.

Dhawale said, “After the counterfeit swearing-in of Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, all MLAs of the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress have been put up in various five-stars in Mumbai, to prevent poaching by the BJP. Leaders of all these three parties requested our MLA Vinod Nikole and I to allow him to stay in one of these hotels. We politely refused, saying a CPI(M) MLA does not need this, and that our party is taking whatever care is required.”

Dhawale and Nikole toured seven tehsils of Thane-Palghar districts on Monday to take part in massive rallies organised by the CPI(M) and the AIKS to demand adequate compensation to farmers for their crops that have been destroyed in the unseasonal October rains. “This is a statewide call given by the AIKS. We will make efforts to intensify people’s anger against political immorality, chicanery and corruption,” said Dhawale. Nikole had participated in the March 2018 farmers’ march from Nashik.

CPI(M) had joined hands with Congress-NCP for assembly polls. Bahujan Vikas Aghadi with three MLAs—Vasai, Nalasopara, Boisar—was in alliance with Congress-NCP-CPI(M) too. BVA is believed to have extended support to BJ