These elections will decide the fate of several prominent figures including NCP (SP) candidate and Sharad Pawar's daughter, MP Supriya Sule; Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar; Union Minister Narayan Rane; descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Udayan Bhosale; and Chhatrapati Shrimant Shahu Maharaj, among others.
As many as 258 candidates are in the fray in the 11 constituencies.
Baramati: NCP vs NCP(SP)
The Baramati Lok Sabha seat is not only seen as a battle for prestige but also as a seat that will define Pawars' legacy.
The constituency will witness a fight between opposition candidate Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and NCP (SP) Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule and her sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar, wife of Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit. Pawar.
In 2014, Sule weathered the 'Modi wave' and retained the seat with more than 70,000 votes. In 2019, she secured the family bastion in western Maharashtra by a margin of over 1.55 lakh votes. This time, with the NCP split, the traditional voters of the family have also been divided. The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) has also announced its support for Sule.
Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg: BJP vs Shiv Sena (UBT)
Union minister and Rajya Sabha MP Narayan Rane is contesting on a BJP ticket from Sindhudurg-Ratnagiri against Vinayak Raut, the sitting MP from the seat and candidate of Shiv Sena (UBT).
Both Rane and Raut are confident of winning the seat. In an interview with ANI, Rane claimed that he will “win the elections unilaterally, by nearly three lakh votes” and asserted that local issues like floods and unemployment would be resolved within a year.
Also read: Lok Sabha elections 2024: Will the Prajwal Revanna sex scandal affect the prospects of the BJP-JD(S) poll in Karnataka?
Rane has already suffered two consecutive defeats. In 2014, he lost the assembly elections from Kudal to Vaibhav Naik of the Shiv Sena. In 2018, Rane suffered another defeat in the assembly by-election for Bandra (East). He was defeated by Shiv Sena's Trupti Sawant, wife of former MLA Bala Sawant, whose death necessitated the by-election.
Sangli: BJP vs Shiv Sena (UBT)
The Sangli seat will witness a three-way fight between sitting BJP MP Sanjaykaka Patil, Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Chandrahar Patil and independent candidate Vishal Patil.
The seat was a bone of contention between the voters of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT). The Congress had claimed the seat saying it was the party's stronghold. However, the Sena (UBT) announced wrestler Chandrahar Patil as its candidate. Vishal Patil, grandson of former Prime Minister Vasantdada Patil, is fighting these elections as an independent.
Satara: BJP vs NCP (SP)
Udayanraje Bhosale, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and a Rajya Sabha member of the BJP, is seeking election from the Satara seat. He is confident of winning the elections against NCP's (Sharad Pawar) candidate, MLC Shashikant Shinde, by more than two lakh votes.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Udayanraje had contested from the undivided NCP and won the seat. However, in September 2019, he resigned from the party and joined BJP in the presence of Devendra Fadnavis. In the October 2019 by-election, Bhosale contested as a BJP candidate but lost the seat to NCP's Shriniwas Patil by over 80,000 votes.
Kolhapur: Congress vs Shiv Sena
Kolhapur is another seat from where a royal scion is in the fray for the Lok Sabha elections. Congress candidate Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, who is making his poll debut, is pitted against sitting MP and Sena candidate Sanjay Mandlik.
Mandlik is seeking a second term. He earlier won the 2009 elections on the ticket of the undivided Shiv Sena, defeating NCP's Dhananjay Mahadik. Speak with MOT, Mandlik said: “This is a battle between two ideologies and visions. People in Kolhapur do not see who is fighting, but think of themselves and what is good for them.”
Also read: Lok Sabha elections 2024: Why phase 3 polls in Gujarat, Karnataka and Goa are crucial for BJP – Explained
Raigad: NCP vs SS (UBT)
The coastal town of Raigad will witness a match between Sunil Tatkare and Anant Geete. In 2019, Tatkare and Geete contested the undivided NCP and Shiv Sena tickets respectively.
This time, Tatkare is a candidate for NCP (Ajit Pawar) and Geete is a candidate for Shiv Sena (UBT). Geete previously won the seat in both 2009 and 2014. From 2014 to 2019, he also served as a cabinet minister in the Modi government. However, in 2019, he was defeated by Sunil Tatkare.
Solapur: BJP vs Congress
Solapur constituency will witness a fight between BJP MLA Ram Satpute and Congress candidate Praniti Shinde. Praniti Shinde, a three-time Solapur legislator, is the daughter of former Union minister Sushilkumar Shinde.
Osmanabad: NCP (AP) vs Shiv Sena (UBT)
In Osmanabad constituency, NCP candidate Archana Patil (Ajit Pawar) will take on Omprakash Rajenimbalkar of Shiv Sena (UBT). In 2019, Omprakash had defeated Ranjitsinh Patil by almost one lakh votes.
Latur: BJP vs Congress
Once a stronghold of the Congress party, the BJP won the Latur seat in 2004. In 2009, Congress won the seat again. However, the BJP reclaimed it in 2014 and 2019. This time, the BJP has re-nominated sitting MP Sudhakar Shrangare from the seat. He is pitted against Congress candidate Shivaji Kalge.
Also read: BJP and allies won over 100 seats in the first two phases of the Lok Sabha elections: Amit Shah
Madha: NCP (SP) vs BJP
From Madha, the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) has nominated Dhairyasheel Mohite-Patil, who quit the BJP and joined Sharad Pawar ahead of the elections. He is pitted against sitting MP and BJP candidate Ranjitsinh Naik Nimbalkar.
Hatkanangle: Sena vs Sena (UBT)
The constituency will witness a triangular contest between Dairyasheel Sambhajirao Mane of Shiv Sena, Satyajeet Patil of Shiv Sena (UBT) and independent candidate Raju Shetti, the president of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana.
Unlock a world of benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time inventory management, breaking news and a personalized news feed – it's all there, just one click away! Log in now!
View all political news and updates on DailyExertNews. Download the Mint News app for daily market updates and live business news.
. or less
Published: May 06, 2024 09:03 AM IST