As Maharashtra gears up to vote for its new Assembly, several constituencies are set to witness intense political battles. Here’s a detailed look at ten high-profile constituencies outside Mumbai, where prominent leaders and political dynamics are in the spotlight.
In the battleground of Baramati political domain of Pawar family, Ajit Pawar, a heavyweight ace politician of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and his nephew Yugendra navy brat representing the NCP Sharad Pawar faction face an intense adversary competition. This is Ajit’s eighth Parliamentary election and he looks forward to recovering months’ after the defeat of his wife to the Lok Sabha not so long ago. Substantially, Yugendra has been introduced to the constituency by Sharad, portraying him as a new and better candidate thus gerning another level of family politics.
Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis wheels, finds himself in a more daunting test from the Congress party’s Prafful Gudadhe in the Nagpur South West seat that he has come to dominate. For while the leader has been actively conducting campaigns all over the regimes, Gudadhe, a prominent leader in the Congress party has been able to bring together the warring factions of the party and is determined to give Fadnavis a run for his money in this region which is the latter’s strong animal territory.
Sitting Revenue Minister, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil is fighting a duel within Congress against a newbie female candidate, Prabhavati Ghogare. Ghogare, a rhetorical woman has been ardently supported in her endeavor by the Congress circles notably by Priyanka Gandhi who came over to campaign for her. The battle is representative of Congress’s mission to overthrow the old-timer Vikhe-Patil who has inexplicably jumped ship from their party to join others.
In the constituency of Kolhapur North, Rajesh Kshirsagar of Shiv Sena is up against independent candidate Rajesh Latkar, who is unofficially backed by Congress. Following the order of events, it lands Congress in an awkward position, since its official nominee Madhurimaraje Chhatrapati has backed down. It remains to be seen whether senior congress leader Satej Patil manages to make a mark in this urban constituency.
In Nasik’s Nandgaon constituency, Shiv Sena MLA Suhas Kande goes head to head against NCP’s Sameer Bhujbal (who is running as an independent) and Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Ganesh Dhatrak. The animosity is based on Kande’s past achievement of winning against Sameer’s cousin, Pankaj Bhujbal who held the seat before. In this three-way battle, Dhatrak has been endorsed by the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance.
In Nanded’s Bhokar constituency, the Congress’s Tirupati Kondekar is also making his maiden electoral stand against Shreejaya Chavan daughter of another ex Chief Minister of Maharashtra Ashok Chavan, who’s a BJP candidate now. Chavan is currently active as a leader in Rajya Sabha and quite actively works for ensuring victory of his daughter. On the contrary, Congress seeks to turn this into a warning for the likes of Chavan who have defected in the past.
In Ashti (Beed district), a multi-pronged battle as several politicians Balasaheb Ajabe (NCP), Suresh Dhas (BJP), Maheboob Sheikh (NCP/SP) and Bhimrao Dhonde (independent) are contesting for the seat. The Bipartite alliance of BJP NCP was shaken by the entry of Ajabe compelling Dhonde a one time BJP MLA to go solo. It’s also interesting that Sheikh is the only non-Mumbai aspirant for NCP-SP’s Muslim vote.
In Solapur’s Pandharpur, BJP’s Samadhan Autade faces a split opposition, with Congress’s Bhagirath Bhalke and NCP-SP’s Anil Sawant both contesting. Bhagirath is the son of the late MLA Bharat Bhalke, while Sawant belongs to an influential political family. This three-way battle promises surprises.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar’s Kannad constituency witnesses a rare husband-wife political showdown. Independent candidate Harshvardhan Jadhav is challenging his wife Sanjana Jadhav, who represents Shiv Sena. Meanwhile, the Uddhav Thackeray faction has fielded incumbent Udaysingh Rajput, adding complexity to this triangular battle.
In Gadchiroli’s Aheri, the Atram family feud takes center stage as NCP Minister Dharmraobaba Atram faces his daughter Bhagyashri Atram, representing NCP-SP. The constituency has long been dominated by the Atram family, making this a personal and political face-off.
The upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections are shaping up to be a thrilling contest, with high-profile battles and personal rivalries defining the political landscape. These key constituencies highlight the dynamic interplay of political ambitions, family legacies, and alliances, promising an electrifying electoral showdown.
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