Maharashtra is all set to witness the electoral showdown in just few weeks as five constituencies in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra are set to go for polls in the first phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024. The five seats that are set to go to polls on April 19 are Nagpur, Ramtek (SC), Chandrapur, Bhandara-Gondiya and Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST).
BJP's Hold On Nagpur
Nagpur, nestled as the epicentre of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), holds pivotal importance for political parties. As one of Maharashtra's 48 Lok Sabha constituencies, Nagpur has been a stronghold for the saffron party, consistently backing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the last two electoral showdowns. In both the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Union Minister of Transport, Nitin Gadkari, clinched victory in this constituency, navigating through stiff competition from the Indian National Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
With the 2024 Lok Sabha elections around the corner, Nagpur gears up for another electoral spectacle, slated for April 19, as Nitin Gadkari tosses his hat into the ring once more, vying for a third consecutive term. Standing opposite him is Vikas Thakre from the Congress party (INC), prepared to challenge Gadkari's dominance.
Nitin Gadkari's Bid For A Hat-Trick
Nitin Gadkari, the seasoned Minister for Road Transport and Highways aka the 'Highway Man' and a stalwart BJP leader, has entrenched himself in the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat over the past two terms. His recent nomination showed his ambition for a triumphant hat-trick, rallying party workers to secure an overwhelming mandate, aiming for a resounding 75 per cent vote share.
In his inaugural electoral battle in 2014, Gadkari squared off against seven-time Congress MP Vilas Muttemwar, clinching victory with 5.87 lakh votes (54.17 per cent), outpacing Muttemwar's 3.02 lakh votes (27.92 per cent). Later, in the 2019 elections, Gadkari fortified his position, vanquishing Congress candidate Nana Patole by a commanding margin of 2,16,000 votes, garnering 6.60 lakh votes (55.67 per cent) compared to Patole's 4.44 lakh votes (37.45 per cent).
Vikas Thakre's Challenge To Gadkari
Meanwhile, Vikas Thakre, the incumbent MLA of Nagpur West and president of the Nagpur District Congress Committee emerges as the Congress torchbearer for the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming 2024 elections. Leaning on his party's historical voter base and personal track record, Thakre rebuffs Gadkari's projections of a five-lakh-vote victory margin.
Assuring that his commitment is towards the party's cause, Thakre earlier stated, "There is no such thing as a safe seat in elections." With an unyielding resolve, Thakre pledged to leverage his political prowess to mount a formidable challenge against Gadkari's incumbency to claim his victory in Nagpur.
Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Schedule
Regarding the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections, Maharashtra will conduct its polls across five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13 and May 20. The results will be announced on June 4. The 2024 Lok Sabha elections, spanning seven phases from April 19 to June 1, will consist of 543 constituencies nationwide.
