Hingoli: Political heritage of Shiv Sena's stronghold

Out of the 11 Lok Sabha elections held in the Hingoli constituency between 1977 and 2019, Shiv Sena has emerged victorious five times. Congress has clinched the constituency thrice, NCP twice, and the Janta Party once.

Before 1977, the Parbhani Lok Sabha constituency encompassed Hingoli and other assembly constituencies. However, in 1977, Hingoli was carved out as an independent constituency.

During the period from 1977 to 2019, Shiv Sena consolidated its stronghold by securing the seat on five occasions. Candidates from Congress, NCP, and the Janta Party have also tasted success in Hingoli in the past.

Notable figures like Shivaji Mane, Suryakanta Patil, and Uttamrao Rathod have been elected twice each to represent the constituency. Chandrakant Patil, Vilas Gundewar, Subhash Wankhede, Rajeev Satav, and Hemant Patil have also served as MPs, each winning once.

In the fiercely contested 1977 election, Janta Party candidate Chandrakant Patil emerged victorious against Congress candidate Balaji Deshmukh. Congress' Uttamrao Rathod secured victories in 1980 and 1984.

Since 1991, Shiv Sena has established a firm grip on the constituency. Vilas Gundewar

secured his maiden victory for Shiv Sena in 1991 by defeating Congress' Uttamrao Rathod. In 1996, Shiv Sena's Shivaji Mane clinched the seat. However, Congress candidate Suryakanta Patil emerged victorious in 1998 by defeating Mane. In the 2000 elections, Shivaji Mane reclaimed victory, while Patil faced defeat.

In 2004, the political landscape witnessed a shift when Suryakanta Patil contested on the NCP ticket and won the seat. In 2009, Shiv Sena's Subhash Wankhede emerged victorious. The 2014 election was marked by a significant contest between Congress candidate Late Rajeev Satav and Shiv Sena’s Subhash Wankhede. Despite the Modi wave sweeping the country, Satav secured victory, a crucial win for Congress as they managed to secure only two seats in Maharashtra, including Hingoli and Nanded. In 2019, Shiv Sena’s Hemant Patil triumphed over Congress’ Subhash Wankhede.

The voting for the upcoming LS election in Hingoli is scheduled for April 26. However, not all parties have declared their candidates yet. The date for filing nomination forms is March 28, and until then, the picture of the contest will become clearer. The last date for filing nominations is April 4.