Defining moment: Hot seats; hard nuts to crack

Defining moment: Hot seats; hard nuts to crack

Though Assembly election seems to be one-sided for the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance, there are many seats on which there is a tough fight.

FPJ BureauUpdated: Monday, October 21, 2019, 09:40 AM IST
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Today, the stage is set to celebrate the largest festival of democracy. It is now or never. Time is ripe to tell the politicians it is the people who elect them to represent them and redress issues, not to fulfil their political aspirations. So, let’s go out and exercise your franchise, to make a change, as every vote counts.

Cakewalk

The state is going to poll in 288 Assembly seats. But a few seats are being considered a cakewalk for key leaders.

Nagpur South West

Devendra Fadnavis is sitting legislator from this constituency. He is winning from Nagpur South since 1999 and after delimitation winning Nagpur South West since 2009. Being Chief minister, he will be facing very weak challenge from Congress candidate Ashish Deshmukh.

Ajit Pawar is sitting legislator. Pawar family have never lost election from this seat. BJP has fielded Gopichand Padalkar who is eying Dhangar community votes.

Aaditya Thackeray, a Thackeray scion is contesting from Worli. For the first time, a member of the Thackeray family is contesting. Sachin Ahir, who would have been his main rival had already joined Sena.NCP candidate Suresh Mane is contesting against him.

Girish Mahajan is the sitting legislator and Water resources minister. He has won from here for the last 5 terms and this term too he is sure to win. NCP has fielded Sanjay Garud.

Sudhir Mungantiwar, finance minister and BJP leader is contesting for the third time. Earlier he has won from Chandrapur during 195 to 2004. After delimitation, he moved to Ballarpur and won two times. Congress has fielded Dr. Vishwas Zade who is banking on Bahujan community votes.

Eknath Shinde, is senior Shiv Sena leader and minister. He holds the key of politics in Thane and Palghar districts. Congress has fielded Sanjay Gadigaonkar as its candidate.

Ganesh Naik is senior leader who recently left NCP to join BJP. He is contesting from Airoli. Ganesh Shinde of NCP is contesting against him.

Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil left Congress and joined BJP few months before. His family has never lost from this seat. Suresh Thorat from Congress is contesting against him.

Pankaja Munde, minister for child and welfare is the sitting legislator from the BJP. She is daughter of late BJP leader Gopinath Munde. Dhananjay, leader of opposition in Legislative Council is her cousin brother who is challenging her for second time on NCP ticket.

Ram Shinde is the minister and BJP sitting legislator. Rohit Pawar is grandnephew of NCP chief Sharad Pawar who left family’s secured bastion Baramati to take over Karjat. Shinde is prominent Dhangar community leader and Rohit has Pawar family legacy with him.

Harshvardhan Patil was minister for 15 years in Congress NCP government and was Congress legislator. He left Congress to contest from BJP as sitting legislator from this seat was Datta Baharne of NCP. NCP refused to leave the claim on the seat.

Basavraj Patil is the sitting Congress MLA and prominent Lingayat leader. Abhimanyu Pawar was the personal asst to CM Fadnavis and his candidature is being challnged by BJP leader and minister Sambhaji Nilangekar Patil. Serious infighting within BJP is brewing up.

Shiv Sena rebel Rajul Patel is pitted against BJP sitting MLA Bharati Lavekar. The infight with safrron alliance may benefit Congress candidate Baldev Khosa.

BJP’s sitting MLA Narendra Pawar is contesting as an Independent candidate against Shiv Sena’s Vishwanath Bhoir. In the seat-sharing deal, the seat was gone to the Shiv Sena.

BJP and Sena are fighting against each other. Nitesh Rane was Cong MLA. He joined BJP. Rane family’s archrival Sena has announced Satish Sawant as its candidate. BJP and Sena are fighting against each other.

Jaydutt Kshirsagar was sitting NCP legislator from Beed who resigned few months before and joined Shiv Sena. He is currently minister from Shiv Sena and his nephew Sandip Kshirsagar is now giving him a tough challenge.

Rohini is daughter of the BJP leader and former minister Eknath Khadse. Chandrakant Nimba Patil though independent will give her a tough fight as he is supported by the Congress and NCP alliance.

Kolhapur witnesses a bitter rivalry between Dhananjay alias Munna Mahadik and Satej alias Bunty Patil. Mahadik was in NCP and lost 2019 Lok Sabha election due to Patil. Amal Mahadik is his family member and sitting legislator from the BJP. Ruturaj Patil is the nephew of Satej Patil and the Congress candidate.

Laxman Jagtap is sitting legislator from BJP and Rahul Kalat rebel from Shiv Sena is enjoying support of Congress and NCP.

Shiv Sena’s sitting MLA Trupti Sawant is contesting as an Independent candidate against the Shiv Sena’s official candidate and mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar. Zishan Siddiqui is Cong candidate here.

Murji Patel, rebel of BJP fighting against Shiv Sena’s sitting MLA Ramesh Latke.

Man (Satara)

Man (Satara) | BJP and Sena are fighting against each other. Jaykumar Bhagwanrao Gore was Cong MLA. He joined BJP being challenged by his brother Shekhar Bhagwanrao Gore from Shiv Sena.

Vijay Wadettiwar is currently the leader of Oppn and Congress MLA. He is being challenged by Sandip Gaddamwar, once his close friend and now Shiv Sena candidate. Paromita Goswami, a social activist who played a key role in liquor ban in Chandrapur district is the AAP candidate and may dent Congress vote bank largely.

Chandrakant Patil is BJP candidate and minister in the Fadnavis government. Since he is outsider, Kishor Shinde, MNS candidate has put a tough challenge as Congress and NCp has supported Shinde.

Rajesh Kshirsagar is sitting MLA from Shiv Sena and had represented this constituency several times. Chandrakant Jadhav who is considered as close to BJP state president Chandtrakant Patil is contesting against him on the Congress ticket. BJP is supporting him against the Sena candidate.

Dhananjay Bodare , rebel from Shiv Sena is fighting against sitting MLA and BJP candidate Ganpat Gaikwad. Both are strong leaders and Gaikwad is facing some anti-incumbency.

Narendra Mehata is sitting legislator from BJP and BJP Corporator and rebel Geeta Bharat Jain is challenging him. Mehata is facing many corruption charges.

Cong and NCP are against eaCong and NCP are against each other. Bharat Bhalke was Cong MLA. He joined NCP. He is contesting on NCP seat and Cong has fielded Shivajirao Kalunge against him. He close to Sushil Kumar Shinde.ch other. Bharat Bhalke was Cong MLA. He joined NCP. He is contesting on NCP seat and Cong has fielded Shivajirao Kalunge against him. He close to Sushil Kumar Shinde.

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