11 seats in sugar belt go to polls
MUMBAI/PUNE: Eleven constituencies across western Maharashtra, Marathwada and Konkan that are seeing some of the most intense battles will go to polls on Tuesday. The weather department has forecast above-normal temperature of 42–43 degrees Celsius in most of the constituencies. In 2019, these seats had reported average polling of 64 per cent with urban parts lagging rural areas.
Polling will take place in Baramati, Raigad, Osmanabad, Latur, Solapur, Madha, Sangli, Satara, Ratnagiri-sindhudurg, Kolhapur and Hatkanangale seats. Most of these constituencies are facing water scarcity and are known for sugarcane production where the NCP ruled the roost until the BJP made inroads starting 2019.
In Baramati, Supriya Sule braved the Modi wave in 2014, clinching the seat with a lead of over 70,000 votes. Five years l a t e r , s he reinforced her strength with an impressive margin of 1.55 lakh votes. “Baramati, Raigad, Osmanabad will be key to deciding whether voters are with Ajit,” said political analyst Abhay Deshpande.
In Raigad, NCP’S state president Sunil Tatkare has locked horns with Shiv Sena (UBT)’S Anant Geete. In the last general elections, Tatkare had won the seat by a close margin of 30,000 votes. This time both the parties have split. Narayan Rane is contesting on a BJP ticket from Sindhudurg-ratnagiri against Vinayak Raut, sitting MP and candidate of Shiv Sena (UBT).
In Madha, BJP’S sitting MP Ranjitsinh Naik Nimbalkar is back in the fray against Dhairyasheel Mohite Patil of NCP (SP). Mohite Patil was with BJP, but he and his uncle Vijaysinh Mohite Patil rebelled and returned to Sharad Pawar.
Solapur has seen both Congress and BJP fielding legislators. Initially, BJP tried to poach Congress leader Praniti Shinde but after her refusal has pitted Malshiras MLA Ram Satpute against Praniti, a three-term Congress legislator and daughter of Sushil Kumar Shinde. To avoid splitting of votes, AIMIM withdrew its candidate. Osmanabad has been a battleground for members of two politically powerful families, including Padmasinh Patil and Pawanraje Nimbalkar. Now, the second generation is facing off. Shiv Sena (UBT) has fielded sitting MP Omraje Nimbalkar and NCP has given the ticket to Archana Patil, daughter-in-law of Padmasinh Patil. Archana joined NCP just before polls while her husband Rana Jagjit Sinh is still with BJP.
Hatkanangale is facing a four-cornered fight among Dhairyasheel Mane of Shiv Sena, Satyajeet Patil from Shiv Sena (UBT), farmer leader Raju Shetti as an independent, and Dadasaheb Patil from Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA). In Kolhapur, the Congress has landed a strong candidate through Chhatrapati Shahu. It exchanged Kolhapur with Sangli that is seeing a three-cornered fight between UBT’S Chandrahar Patil, Congress rebel Vishal Patil and Sanjay Kaka Patil, a sitting BJP MP.
In Satara, BJP Rajya Sabha MP and Shivaji Maharaj descendant Udayanraje Bhosale is in the fray against NCP (SCP) MLC Shashikant Shinde, a trade union leader. Sitting MP from NCP (SCP) Shriniwas Patil could not contest because of health issues. Congress has won Latur 11 of the 15 general elections with former Union home Minister Shivraj Patil Chakurkar getting elected seven times. BJP has won the seat in the last 10 years. It has nominated sitting MP Sudhakar Shrangare against Congress candidate Dr Shivaji Kalage. Recently, BJP inducted Chakurkar’s daughter-in-law Archana Patil in its camp.