NAGPUR: Once a Congress fortress, Vidarbha was breached a decade ago. The region now has hues of saffron-BJP and its now splintered Shiv Sena ally did well in 2014 and 2019. In 2019, the late Balu Dhanorkar saved Congress the blushes by giving it the sole win in the state from Chandrapur.
Top state BJP leaders-Nitin Gadkari, Devendra Fadnavis, Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Sudhir Mungantiwar -hail from there, as do Congress’s Nana Patole, Vijay Wadettiwar, Nitin Raut and Mukul Wasnik.The stakes are high for everyone to ‘perform’.
VBA, which played spoilsport for Congress in many seats in 2019, may align with MVA, giving the grand old party a much needed shot in the arm. Preventing a vote split is what Congress is counting on.
Nagpur has the state’s most high-profile candidate in Gadkari. Congress’s MLA Vikas Thakre was “reluctantly” propped up against the political heavyweight. Despite Gadkari’s popularity, Congress retains a robust vote bank in Nagpur and Thakre has spent over two decades in civic politics.
Ramtek, a former Congress bastion, from where former PM P V Narsimha Rao won, has been with Shiv Sena for three consecutive terms. BJP is almost certain to bag it. On the other hand, Congress factions headed by MLAs Raut and Sunil Kedar are seeking tickets.
In Wardha, sitting BJP MP Ramdas Tadas is hoping to score a hattrick. Gadchiroli, the only ‘dry district’ in Vidarbha after Wardha, is also with BJP. With the seat reserved for tribals, both Congress and BJP are playing their cards right. Congress has pushed for Namdeo Kirsan, a former govt official and social worker. Even NCP’s state minister Dharmrao Baba Atram staking a claim.
BJP’s Sudhir Mungantiwar became a surprise choice in Chandrapur as he was reluctant to throw his hat in the ring. This, combined with former BJP MP Hansraj Ahir’s angst at being sidelined, has created fault lines in the party. With the push for Wadettiwar in Congress, the party faces a challenge from Dhanorkar’s wife and Bhadravati MLA Pratibha.
Bhandara-Gondia is known for its political rivalry between NCP’s Praful Patel and Patole. Patole has on various occasions taken on NCP in public, even calling them “backstabbers”. With Patel now aligned with Mahayuti, Patole gets to face off with him.
Amravati may see sitting independent MP Navneet Rana being granted a ticket, but this time from BJP. Congress has nominated Daryapur MLA Balwant Wankhede. Congress and VBA have failed to reach a consensus on seat sharing over Akola. BJP may gain in a triangular fight among sitting MP Sanjay Dhotre’s son Anup, VBA’s Prakash Ambedkar and Congress’s Dr Abhay Patil.
In Yavatmal, plagued by farm suicides, Sena MP Bhavana Gawali is keen on a ticket but faces opposition due to ED cases. Buldhana has been a Sena bastion for over a decade and its MP Pratap Jadhav is looking for a fourth term.
Top state BJP leaders-Nitin Gadkari, Devendra Fadnavis, Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Sudhir Mungantiwar -hail from there, as do Congress’s Nana Patole, Vijay Wadettiwar, Nitin Raut and Mukul Wasnik.The stakes are high for everyone to ‘perform’.
VBA, which played spoilsport for Congress in many seats in 2019, may align with MVA, giving the grand old party a much needed shot in the arm. Preventing a vote split is what Congress is counting on.
Nagpur has the state’s most high-profile candidate in Gadkari. Congress’s MLA Vikas Thakre was “reluctantly” propped up against the political heavyweight. Despite Gadkari’s popularity, Congress retains a robust vote bank in Nagpur and Thakre has spent over two decades in civic politics.
Ramtek, a former Congress bastion, from where former PM P V Narsimha Rao won, has been with Shiv Sena for three consecutive terms. BJP is almost certain to bag it. On the other hand, Congress factions headed by MLAs Raut and Sunil Kedar are seeking tickets.
In Wardha, sitting BJP MP Ramdas Tadas is hoping to score a hattrick. Gadchiroli, the only ‘dry district’ in Vidarbha after Wardha, is also with BJP. With the seat reserved for tribals, both Congress and BJP are playing their cards right. Congress has pushed for Namdeo Kirsan, a former govt official and social worker. Even NCP’s state minister Dharmrao Baba Atram staking a claim.
BJP’s Sudhir Mungantiwar became a surprise choice in Chandrapur as he was reluctant to throw his hat in the ring. This, combined with former BJP MP Hansraj Ahir’s angst at being sidelined, has created fault lines in the party. With the push for Wadettiwar in Congress, the party faces a challenge from Dhanorkar’s wife and Bhadravati MLA Pratibha.
Bhandara-Gondia is known for its political rivalry between NCP’s Praful Patel and Patole. Patole has on various occasions taken on NCP in public, even calling them “backstabbers”. With Patel now aligned with Mahayuti, Patole gets to face off with him.
Amravati may see sitting independent MP Navneet Rana being granted a ticket, but this time from BJP. Congress has nominated Daryapur MLA Balwant Wankhede. Congress and VBA have failed to reach a consensus on seat sharing over Akola. BJP may gain in a triangular fight among sitting MP Sanjay Dhotre’s son Anup, VBA’s Prakash Ambedkar and Congress’s Dr Abhay Patil.
In Yavatmal, plagued by farm suicides, Sena MP Bhavana Gawali is keen on a ticket but faces opposition due to ED cases. Buldhana has been a Sena bastion for over a decade and its MP Pratap Jadhav is looking for a fourth term.