POLI PAHILWANS

Maharashtra loves its wrestlers. And why not? Many villages in western Maharashtra have an akhada and a fair share of grapplers, and cities like Kolhapur, Pune and Sangli are known for their talims (wrestling schools). How could the heaving mud pit of politics be immune to this ? Four grapplers are testing their hold on the popular psyche in the hurly-burly of elections. Two are in Sangli. Chandrahar Patil, a two-time ‘Maharashtra Kesari’ who learnt from legends like Olympian Ganpatrao Andhalkar, is challenging twoterm BJP MP Sanjaykaka Patil on behalf of the Uddhav Sena. His opponent is no pushover, and not just in politics: Sanjaykaka is also a trained wrestler! But the result may hinge on how Congress rebel Vishal Patil, grandson of ex-CM Vasantdada Patil, plays. In Pune, former mayor Murlidhar Mohol of the BJP will be trying all his takedowns, snap-downs and whizzers against Ravindra Dhangekar of the Congress. Originally from the local Mulshi taluka, known for its love of wrestling, Mohol honed his technique in Kolhapur, the state’s kushti pandhari or ‘mecca of wrestling’. Another strongman waiting for the scores with bated breath is exVidarbha Kesari, state wrestling association boss and BJP Wardha MP Ramdas Tadas, running for his political title a third time. They say he may be a bit out of breath against Amar Kale, a soft-spoken exCongress MLA chosen this time by Sharad Pawar, a veteran wrestling administrator who headed the state association for four decades till 2022. Now, that’s a man who knows a trick or two on the mat.