Nagpur: With the Central Election Commission announcing the schedule for the Maharashtra Assembly elections, political activities have intensified in Nagpur. Voting is scheduled for November 20, and the formation of the new government will be clear by the 23rd. Nagpurians are eagerly awaiting the announcement of candidates. Discussions in political circles are ongoing about how many seats the constituent parties of the Mahayuti and the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliances will contest, and who the candidates will be.
A tough battle between Devendra and Praful in South-West Nagpur!
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Friday 24 Jan. 2025
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is the BJP candidate for the South-West Nagpur constituency. It is rumoured that the Congress will nominate Praful Gudadhe Patil for this seat. This contest is seen as prestigious. Meanwhile, BSP has declared Vinay Bhange as their candidate for this constituency.
In 2019, Gudadhe himself requested the party to shift him to the West Nagpur constituency. Congress offered Prashant Pawar, the founder of Jai Jawan Jai Kisan, a ticket to contest from South-West. However, surprisingly, Ashish Deshmukh, the son of former minister Ranjit Deshmukh, was fielded instead. Deshmukh managed to reduce Fadnavis’ lead significantly. Fadnavis secured 1,09,237 votes, while Deshmukh received 59,893 votes, giving Fadnavis a lead of 49,344 votes, down from a lead of 54,976 votes in 2014. This reduction in Fadnavis’ lead has raised concerns for the BJP.
During the Lok Sabha elections as well, BJP candidate Nitin Gadkari received fewer votes from this constituency compared to other constituencies in Nagpur, except for North Nagpur. While Congress has yet to announce its candidate, Prafulla Gudadhe is expected to be its likely choice. This old rivalry is set to be exciting this time around.
Nitin Raut confirms candidacy for North Nagpur, BJP faces dilemma:
The North Nagpur seat is reserved for the SC category. It is confirmed that the present Congress MLA Nitin Raut will contest from here. However, the BJP is still undecided about its candidate. In 2014, BJP’s Milind Mane defeated Raut in this constituency, and there is speculation that the BJP might nominate him again. However, Sandeep Jadhav and Dharampal Meshram are also contenders for the seat. Both BSP and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi are also in the fray for this constituency.
Congress’ Vikas Thakre to face either a ‘Kunbi’ or Hindi-speaking candidate in West Nagpur:
In the last election, Congress’ Vikas Thakre defeated BJP’s Sudhakar Deshmukh in the West Nagpur constituency. This time, his contest is certain. BJP appears to be using its ‘Kunbi’ card while also considering Hindi-speaking candidates. It is unclear whether Sudhakar Deshmukh will contest again. Bhushan Shingne, Naresh Barde, and Daya Shankar Tiwari are among those vying to contest. Narendra Jichkar, who was expelled from Congress, is also expected to contest as an independent candidate.
Prominent names emerge for South Nagpur seat from both Congress and BJP:
In South Nagpur, BJP’s sitting MLA Mohan Mate is likely to contest again. Senior Congress leaders have stated that candidates who lost narrowly in the previous election will likely be repeated. Girish Pandav may once again challenge Mate. However, Atul Londhe and Vishal Muttemwar from Congress are also eyeing this seat. If this seat is allotted to Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, Pramod Manmode may be nominated, as speculated in political circles.
Suspense over Nagpur Central Seat:
Though BJP MLA Vikas Kumbhare is a strong contender for the Nagpur Central seat, the party might consider giving the ticket to Pravin Datke. Congress is expected to field Bunty Shelke, who contested in the previous election. Congress is facing some pressure from the Muslim and Halba communities, with Advocate Asif Qureshi and Nash Nusrat being considered for Muslim representation, while Nanda Parate is seeking candidacy from the Halba community.
BJP to re-nominate Krishna Khopde in East Nagpur:
BJP MLA Krishna Khopde is likely to contest again from the East Nagpur seat. There is suspense over Congress’s candidate for this constituency. In 2019, Congress nominated Purushottam Hajare for this Teli-dominated seat. This time, Sangeeta Talmale, from the Teli community, is actively campaigning. Congress may also consider a Kunbi candidate. Uma Kant Agnihotri has expressed interest in contesting as a Hindi-speaking candidate.
