Political atmosphere hots up in Vidarbha for LS polls

27-02-14

* BJP pits Nitin Gadkari (Nagpur), Hansraj Ahir (Chandrapur), Ashok Nete (Gadchiroli), Nana Patole (Bhandara-Gondia), Sanjay Dhotre (Akola)
* AAP fields Wamanrao Chatap (Chandrapur), Prashant Mishra (Bhandara-Gondia), and Bhawna Wasnik (Amravati)
* NCP announces candidature to Praful Patel (Bhandara-Gondia), Navneet Rana (Amravati), and Krishnarao Ingle (Buldhana) 

Staff Reporter
With seasoned Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and first-timer Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) declaring lists of candidates from some Lok Sabha constituencies in Vidarbha, political atmosphere for Lok Sabha elections has started heating up. Now, all eyes are Congress which is yet to declare its candidates.
As expected, BJP has announced ticket to Nitin Gadkari, former National President of the party, from his home-turf Nagpur. Gadkari was tipped to contest from Nagpur and he also had dropped enough hints in this regard. Already, he had started consolidating the party network towards this direction. His increased presence at a variety of public meetings and programmes, sharing the dais with political leaders of all hues, all indicated his preparations for Lok Sabha contest. He has a long experience in Maharashtra Legislative Council, getting elected from Graduates’ Constituency.
Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency is currently represented by Congress leader Vilas Muttemwar. However, Congress is yet to announce its candidate. Before BJP announced Gadkari’s candidature, the newly formed AAP announced candidature of its leader Anjali Damania from Nagpur.
Apart from Gadkari, BJP has declared four more candidates from Vidarbha. These include sitting MPs Hansraj Ahir from Chandrapur and Sanjay Dhotre from Akola, Ashok Nete from Gadchiroli, and Nana Patole from Bhandara-Gondia.
In Vidarbha, picture of the contest has become clearer only in Bhandara-Gondia constituency. NCP, as expected, has announced candidature of sitting MP and Union Minister of Heavy Industries Praful Patel from this constituency. Patel is considered a heavyweight within NCP as well as in the Union Cabinet. Since his election  in 2009, he has systematically strengthened his network and party organisation in Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha constituency. Interestingly, BJP has fielded its MLA Nana Patole against Patel. In 2009 Lok Sabha election also, there was a contest between Patel and Patole (who had contested as an Independent candidate) with the latter finishing second in votes tally. The debutant AAP has announced candidature to Prashant Mishra against these seasoned contestants.
Ahir will face a seasoned former MLA Adv Wamanrao Chatap, who is contesting on the ticket of AAP this time. Chatap is a senior leader of Shetkari Sanghatana and he was Maharashtra President of the organisation’s political outfit Swatantra Bharat Paksha. Ahir is known to be active and has been honoured with the Best Parliamentarian award. Chatap, too, had been honoured with Best Legislator award during his tenure as MLA from Rajura constituency in Chandrapur district. Now, it remains to be seen if Congress fields its veteran and former MP Naresh Pugalia.
In the adjoining constituency of Gadchiroli, BJP has pitted Ashok Nete again. In 2009 also, BJP had fielded the former MLA against Congress’ Marotrao Kowase. Then, Nete had finished second. As far as Akola is concerned, BJP has given candidature to sitting MP Sanjay Dhotre. In 2009, Congress candidate Babasaheb Dhabekar had finished a poor third and Bharatiya Republican Paksha-Bahujan Maha Sangh (BRP-BMS) leader Adv Prakash Ambedkar was second.
As far as Amravati constituency is concerned, it had witnessed a straight contest between Shiv Sena’s Anandrao Adsul and RPI’s Rajendra Gawai. This time also, Adsul is hoping for Shiv Sena ticket. Gawai was hopeful of getting ticket from NCP quota. However, NCP has declared candidature to Independent MLA Ravi Rana’s wife and former actress Navneet Rana. This is bound to irk Gawai and it would be interesting to watch stand adopted by him.
NCP’s list also figures Krishnarao Ingle from Buldhana constituency. Currently, this constituency is represented by Shiv Sena ‘s Prataprao Jadhav. NCP had fielded former Maharashtra Minister Dr Rajendra Shingne from this constituency in 2009 Lok Sabha polls. Then, Shingne had finished second. This time, NCP has decided to change the candidate and has given chance to Ingle.
 

Lok Sabha constituency-wise fights in Vidarbha in 2009

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Constituency              Winner/party/             Second/party/             Difference

                                     votes polled               votes polled                of votes

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Buldhana                 Prataprao Jadhav      Rajendra Shingne           28,078

                                  (Shiv Sena)                     (NCP)

                                      3,53,671                     3,25,593


Akola                      Sanjay Dhotre            Prakash Ambedkar         64,848    

                                 (BJP)                           (BRP-BMS)

                                2,87,526                          2,22,678


Amravati               Anandrao Adsul            Rajendra Gawai              61,716

                              (Shiv Sena)                        (RPI)

                               3,14,286                            2,52,570


Wardha                Datta Meghe                  Suresh Waghmare           95,918

                             (Congress)                          (BJP)

                              3,52,853                             2,56,935

 Ramtek              Mukul Wasnik                 Krupal Tumane               16,701

                            (Congress)                         (Shiv Sena)

                             3,11,614                               2,94,913

Nagpur               Vilas Muttemwar               Banwarilal Purohit         24,399    

                             (Congress)                          (BJP)

                            3,15,148                                2,90,749

Bhandara-Gondia Praful Patel                      Nana Patole                2,51,915

                               (NCP)                              (Independent)

                           4,89,814                                2,37,899

Gadchiroli         Marotrao Kowase                Ashok Nete                   28,580

                          (Congress)                            (BJP)

                          3,21,756                                  2,93,176

Chandrapur      Hansraj Ahir                         Naresh Pugalia               32,495

                          (BJP)                                     (Congress)

                         3,01,467                                  2,68,972

Yavatmal-Washim Bhavana Gawli                 Haribhau Rathod          56,951

                              (Shiv Sena)                        (Congress)

                              3,84,443                              3,27,492

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