MUMBAI: Despite the absence of a mighty opposition, Assembly elections in Maharashtra is unlikely to be a cakewalk for the ruling alliance. In fact of the matter that the dissidents, battle for supremacy within the saffron combination and political careers of many leaders which are at stake, have made the election more interesting.
Vidarbha had been a bastion of BJP which helped it to come to power in the state in 2014. It is no longer so this time around. The party had won 44 out of 62 and Congress had got only 10 last time. Sensing the anti-incumbency, the BJP shunned its nine sitting MLAs and gave only 12 seats to the Sena.
However, as dissidents are a big challenge at least in six seats while on the other five the party doesn’t appear week. During Lok Sabha Prakash Ambedkar’s VBA had derailed Congress. But, that factor is not working in Assembly election as the OBC (Kunbi) class’ worries about Maratha quota might prevent BJP from achieving its goal of bettering its tally in the region.
Another region from where the BJP has great hopes is North Maharashtra. BJP had put forth a goal of winning all the 45 seats of the region for the grand alliance. However, given the challenge posed by dissidents, tactical alliances forged by NCP and MNS and the battle for supremacy within the saffron alliance is unlikely to let the dream come true.
The open spat between BJP’s Girish Mahajan and Shiv Sena’ Gulabrao Patil in Jalgaon have become challenges for BJP veteran Eknath Khadse. Problems within the alliance in Dhule and Nashik have also all made the contests tough. The election is also not easy for NCP Chhagan Bhujbal and his son Pankaj.
In Marathwada, Congress has some hope in Nanded and Latur. Realizing that his political career is at stake, former state Congress chief Ashok Chavan concentrated all his strength on Nanded, while, in Latur, two sons of former CM Vilasrao Deshmukh are contesting polls where BJP apparently has made some mistakes in finalizing candidates.
However, despite three years of consecutive drought, the opposition couldn’t effectively raise the issue. On the contrary, derogatory remarks by NCP leader Dhananjay Munde against his cousin Pankaja and his rival BJP contestant from Parli, are feared to tilt the election in the favor of ruling combine from the region that sends 46 MLAs to the Assembly.
The real tussle in Western Maharashtra, that elects 58 MLAs, is between the BJP and the NCP. In Konkan and Mumbai, which elect 75 MLAs, Shiv Sena and the BJP are the prime adversaries of each other. Again, the BJP has not left any seat to Shiv Sena from Pune, Nashik, Nagpur and Navi Mumbai. Resentment over this is likely to hurt the BJP in Kolhapur. The BJP had won all 8 seats in Pune last time. Repeating the performance would be a challenge this time.
In Satara, the stronghold of NCP, Lok Sabha bypolls are being conducted along with the Assembly elections. In PM Modi’s words, the BJP now even has the “Family of Shivaji” with it here. Yet, whether the party would be able to help the members from the royal family get elected to the Houses still bears a big question mark.
In Konkan, BJP inducted former CM Narayan Rane, whose political career is at stake. This has hurt the Sena. It has led to straight Shiv Sena-BJP contests at least in three constituencies. In Mumbai and Thane, dissidents from both the parties are causing a headache for the saffron allies. In Palghar, again, Hitendra Thakur’s clout over the region is at stake due to Shiv Sena’s advent.
1. WORLI: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray's son and Yuva Sena president Aditya is making an electoral debut, the first time by any member of Thackeray clan.
2. ANUSHAKTI NAGAR: NCP Mumbai president and chief spokesperson Nawab Malik is trying his luck having lost the last polls
3. MUMBRA-KALVA: NCP supremo Sharad Pawar's aide Dr Jitendra Ahwad is facing Shiv Sena candidate Dipali Sayyad, a Marathi actress.
4. AIROLI: Veteran politician Ganesh Naik, who recently joined the BJP after leaving NCP, had to switch over to this constituency held by his son Sandeep, after the BJP decided not to disturb Belapur MLA Manda Mhatre, who had joined the BJP quitting NCP in 2014.
5. VASAI and NALASOPARA: The twin seats of Vasai and Nalasopara will see Shiv Sena challenging the Thakur family. While in Vasai, Hitendra Thakur, the founder of Bahujan Vikas Aghadi, is pitted against Shiv Sena's Vijay Patil, in the neighbouring seat of Nalasopara, Thakur's son Kshitij Thakur is facing encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma.
6. MIRA-BHAYENDER: It could be anybody’s game here. State Congress working president Muzaffar Hussain is contesting against sitting MLA Hemendra Mehta but former BJP mayor Geeta Jain has entered as a rebel.
KONKAN
7. SAWANTWADI: Minister of state for home Deepak Kesarkar of Shiv Sena is facing problems as his Sena colleague Rajan Teli has filed papers as an Independent.
8. KANKAVLI: Former chief minister Narayan Rane’s son Nitesh Rane, the Congress MLA who joined BJP, is facing Sena rebel Satish Samant. The Thackerays and Ranes of Konkan share an uneasy relationship.
WESTERN MAHARASHTRA
9. KOTHRUD: State BJP president and revenue minister Chandrakant Patil is contesting. But, Congress and NCP has supported MNS candidate Kishor Shinde
10. BARAMATI: NCP founder-president Sharad Pawar’s nephew Ajit, a former deputy chief minister, is seeking reelection from the family seat. He is pitted against BJP's Gopichand Padalkar.
11. KARAD SOUTH: Former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan is seeking reelection and is pitted against Udaysinh Patil Undlakar, who is son of his political rival Vilaskaka Undalkar.
12. SOLAPUR SOUTH CENTRAL: Former chief minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s daughter Pranati is seeking reelection against CPI (M) veteran Narasayya Adam.
13. KARJAT-JMAKHED: NCP president Sharad Pawar’s grand nephew Rohit Pawar is making debut and taking on sitting BJP MLA Prof Ram Shinde.
14. SANGAMNER: Former minister and state Congress president Balasaheb Thorat is seeking relection from his family seat.
15. SHIRDI: BJP’s Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil is seeking relection. He triggered the spate of defections from Congress-NCP camp. He resigned as leader of opposition in Assembly and left Congress to join the ruling side.
NORTH MAHARASHTRA
16. YEOLA and NANDGAON: Veteran NCP leader and former deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal is seeking reelection from Yeola, while his son Pankaj from Nandgaon. Bhujbal is a senior OBC leader and founder of Akhil Bharatiya Mahatma Phule Parishad.
17. JAMNER: BJP’s Girish Mahajan, the water resources minister and key troubleshooter of Devendra Fadnavis is contesting the polls
18. MUKTAINAGAR: Rohini Khadse, daughter of BJP veteran Eknath Khadse has been given ticket. The Sr. Khadse, who has been representing the seat since 1991, has been denied ticket.
19. KALVAN: CPI (M) leader Jiva Pandu Gavit, who is one of the seniormost sitting MLA, is facing a big challenge in this tribal belt.
MARATHWADA
20. PARLI: Its a battle to control late BJP leader Gopinath Munde’s legacy. His daughter Pankaja, who is a minister, is facing his nephew Dhananjay, who is leader of opposition in Council.
21. LATUR CITY and LATUR RURAL: Former chief minister and Congressman Vilasrao Deshmukh’s sons Amit and Dhiraj are contesting the Latur City and Latur Rural seats, respectively.
22. BHOKAR: Former Maharashtra chief minister and ex state Congress president Ashok Chavan is contesting the elections.
23. TULJALUR: NCP founder Sharad Pawar’s relative Padmasinh Patil’s son Ranajagjitsinh, who switched over to BJP, is trying his luck.
24. NILANGA: Former chief minister Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar’s son Ashok has locked horns with his grandson Sambaji, who is son of Ashok’s late brother.
VIDARBHA
25. NAGPUR SOUTH WEST: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, is seeking reelection. He faces Congress candidate Dr Ashish Deshmukh, who had resigned from BJP. Dr Deshmukh is son of former state Congress chief Ranjit Deshmukh.
26. KATOL: Veteran NCP leader and former minister Anil Deshmukh is seeking relection.
27. BALLARPUR: State finance, planning and forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, a BJP veteran and former state president is seeking reelection.
28. BRAHMAPURI: Leader of opposition in outgoing Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar is contesting.